


Ruled By Secrecy

by Tripower



Category: Frozen (2013)
Genre: AU, Crossdressing, Drama, F/F, Illustrated, Knight!Anna, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-02-19
Updated: 2015-06-28
Packaged: 2018-01-13 00:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 41,830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1206496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tripower/pseuds/Tripower
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>[Summary Edit] Anna has no memory of Elsa, princess of Arendelle and her lover anymore. She continues to live her life as a blacksmith and knight until Elsa, now queen, fled to the North Mountain after creating a perpetual winter on the kingdom. Anna decided to look after the queen to protect her from Hans, who wants to take the throne. ELSANNA, AU!</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Karma (by Bump Of Chicken)

**Author's Note:**

> AN:Thanks to jay357 (FF.net) for correcting all the spelling and grammar mistakes in that chapter. The story is based on this concept art http://tri-chan.tumblr.com/post/74514619618/au-frozen-ruled-by-secrecy-being-the
> 
> In this story, the title of every chapter is the title of a song (I'll always write the author of the song next to the title).
> 
> Disclaimer: Frozen belong to Disney (obviously), the OCs are mine however. It's an Elsanna story, so if you don't like it don't read it... I'm even surprised that you clicked on the link. You have been warned!

**Prologue - Karma (by Bump Of Chicken)**

"Anna!"

Silence.

_Still sleeping._

Vlad Thorstein sighed. He wanted to wake up his daughter. But unfortunately, he could not and resumed his task by hammering the white-hot metal on the anvil in a steady rhythm. Being the only blacksmith of Arendelle had its advantages. He usually had a constant number of orders and therefore enough money to feed his family – first him and his wife, then both of them with their daughter, and now only him and their daughter. But it had also its disadvantages as people seemed to think that being the only blacksmith of the kingdom gave him the power to create weapons and tools by magic in no time. More than once, Vlad had ended up being forced to finish several important orders at the same time. 

Just like today. 

The day should have been easy. He only would have had to deliver a bunch of weapons to the royal guards and two swords to the royal knights. That was all. He had planned to spend the day with his daughter and relax afterwards. But no. There would be no time to relax today as a noble family had come earlier this morning for a service. They had asked him to restore an old sword for tonight. The job was simple enough but time consuming. Because of that he wouldn’t be able to deliver the weapons to the royal palace. He needed Anna's help. 

"I should have refused." He groaned. "Damn that bag of gold coins"

Vlad was a realistic man. He might be nice and generous but he was no fool. He had a daughter to feed and a workshop to take care of. All of this required money. Even if he knew people would always come to him for reparations and other services, that didn't protect him from a shortage of money. Better safe than sorry. But now he really needed his daughter to wake up. 

"Ann..."

"I'm coming!"

Vlad sighed in relief this time. But it was cut short when he heard a loud crash on the stairs and his daughter's scream. 

"Anna!" 

He didn't waste any seconds and dropped his tools to help his daughter, fearing the worst. But he stopped dead in his track as he saw a glimpse of strawberry blonde hair at the door. Anna was massaging her head, pain written all over her face.

"Are you alright firefly?" The blacksmith asked, worried. 

Anna looked at her father, finally noticing him standing in the center of the room. She smiled, endeared by the nickname her father still used. She wanted to reassure him. 

"Don't worry dad. You know how clumsy I am. I just fell down the stairs."

"Are you sure you're alright?" 

"Yes dad, I'm fine. You know I have seen worse."

"That's why Anna... Just... Just be careful. Okay? I would never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"I'll be, Dad."

Anna looked at her dad, serious. She knew her mother's death had taken a toll on the family. But it was her father who suffered the most. Ever since that accident, she had tried her best to help him with his job, like her mother had done her. 

"So what do you need me to do?" She asked, eager to help. 

"I need you to deliver some weapons to the royal guards and knights."

"Royal knights?" Anna was surprised. Her father usually insisted on delivering the swords to the royal knights himself. They were the elite of Arendelle. They took an oath to defend the country against invaders, and to protect the royal family, while the royal guards swore to maintain order and security in the kingdom and the royal palace. The ones who succeeded in becoming royal knights after years of training and a final trial were given a sword during a ceremony to commemorate their newly acquired rank. Vlad Thorstein created all the royal knights' swords. Each of them was specifically designed for its owner. Because of the importance of this ceremony, the blacksmith always insisted on giving the sword to the knight captain, who would perform the ceremony himself. So saying Anna was surprised was an understatement.

"Are you sure dad?" Anna hesitated. "I mean, you can go and I'll stay and continue what you have started…"

"I am restoring an old sword for a customer. You're still too young to do this task alone. I prefer that you do the deliveries firefly. I trust you."

Anna was speechless, disbelief all over her face. She was still processing the words in her head. Her father entrusted her with such an important mission. She was honored by this show of trust. Straightening her body, she looked at her father, determined to make him proud of her.

"I won't disappoint you dad!"

"I'm sure you won't." Vlad only replied, smiling.

-X-

"What are you doing here girl?"

Anna turned and gasped. Before her stood a royal knight. He was tall, imposing, and his dark heavy armor didn't make him any less threatening. His dark teal eyes were scrutinizing her, still waiting for an answer.

Anna froze, trying to avoid his gaze. 

She had arrived at the royal palace several minutes ago. She hadn’t wasted time loading the shipment destined for the royal guards onto her horse, eager to take the deliveries to the castle. She had never visited the place before. At the beginning, she had been too young to come with her parents. Then the king and the queen had decided to close the gates for obscure reasons when she was five. Since then, the visits to the royal palace were forbidden except for deliveries and still, it usually took several minutes of explanation with the guards at the entrance to get access to the castle. After passing the gates, Anna quickly dropped the crate of weapons at the royal guards' barracks, and found her way to the royal knights' one to deliver the soon-to-be royal knights' swords. Their transport had not been easy. One of the swords was a long broadsword. Being 13 years old, Anna was not really tall for her age and so the weapon was much taller than her. She carried it on her shoulder, and the second sword, a rapier – fortunately - was on her belt.  
She was clearly not welcome in the royal palace; she noticed the suspicious glares from the guards at the door and in the courtyard. It was preferable to get rid of the swords and leave immediately. However the very idea of leaving had been wiped from her mind when Anna entered the training ground of the Royal Knights' barracks. Sounds of clashing swords, odors of sweat, steel and leather and a courtyard full of armored soldiers; the redhead was in awe.

Since she had started helping her father, Anna had become curious about sword fighting. She wanted to know the mechanics, the technics in sword wielding. Originally she had only intended to learn to help her father with his work. Then after reading several books, she had genuinely became captivated by the subject. However reading books about the different technics of fighting was different from seeing a real fight. Anna had found herself unable to move, admiring the soldiers training, until a hand on her shoulder had caught her attention and she now found herself under a royal knight's gaze, still waiting for her to answer.

"I…" Anna stammered. "I'm Anna… Anna Thorstein."

"Thorstein?" The man asked. "As in Vlad Thorstein?"

"I'm his daughter."

The knight stayed silent, still staring at Anna, who was starting to become uneasy and scared. _'That's it Anna, you are dead.'_ Suddenly, the man burst out in laughter. The redhead jumped in surprise.

"Ha Vlad, the damn bastard! He never told me his daughter was such a lovely lady."

A slight blush appeared on Anna's cheeks, stumped by the man's behavior. At first glance, the man looked cold and severe. The impressions were accented by the scar across his face and the dark crimson bangs covering his eyes. His eyes. Anna could see them now. They were full of wisdom and kindness. Without realizing it, Anna relaxed. One thing she had learned, when growing up, was to read people. She was sure of one thing. Eyes didn't lie.

"Thank you, Sir…" 

"Alex. Alex Renmeyer. Knight Captain of Arendelle." He smiled. "And I think the swords you are holding are for me, aren’t they?"

"Ho yes! Indeed." Anna took both the broadsword and the rapier and gave them to the captain, doing a small bow in the process as a sign of respect.

"Perfect as always." Alex grinned, inspecting the swords in his hands. "You can tell your father thank you and good job."

"I won't forget to tell him, Sir."

Anna bowed again and started to turn around to leave, when the same hand on her shoulder stopped her again

"Wait. Not so fast." Alex laughed. "Your father told me you got an interest in sword fighting."

Anna blushed. She never would have thought her father would tell that to the knight captain.

"I do, but…" She started.

"Well, come with me." The captain didn't let the girl finish as he dragged her to the training grounds, where some training dummies were standing. Two people were training next to them. Two women. When they noticed the captain, they stopped and bowed.

"Captain." The taller one spoke.

Anna's eyes widened. Tanned skin? Accent? It was not uncommon to meet foreigners in Arendelle. Sometimes, these people from other countries would settle here and open a shop, enjoying the peaceful and beautiful place. It was rare however for a stranger to be a royal guard, less likely even to be a royal knight. Certain values and practices were still deeply rooted in Arendelle. Forbidding strangers to be a soldier for the royal family for safety was one of them.

"At ease Tian." Alex Renmeyer spoke. The tall soldier stood up straight. 

"You too Sophia." The captain sighed, a smile on his face.

The other soldier looked at the captain a smile on her face.

"Of course father."

'Oh' Anna eventually noticed Sophia's dark crimson hair and dark teal eyes. 'She is his daughter'

"This is Anna, Vlad's daughter, the one who is interested in sword fighting." Captain Alex Renmeyer declared.

"But I never used a sword actually; I just read books about it." Anna quickly replied, her cheeks red. _'Don't tell me he will…'_

"Your father told me. That's why I'm proposing you to try it right now. Is that okay for you?"

 _'Oh god! He did.'_ Anna panicked. "I… I don't know." She stammered. "I don't want to interrupt you in your training…"

"Don't worry about that. Those two are the ones who have their ceremony later. I think they trained enough for today."

Without a word, the captain took a training sword, which was lying on a bench and placed it in Anna's hands.

"Let's begin with the basic moves." He smiled.

Anna took a deep breath. It seemed that she had no other choice but to use the sword in her hands. Not that she didn't like it. In reality, she was thrilled. But she would have preferred a minimum of preparations first, and not practicing in front of everyone. She closed her eyes and calmed herself. She needed to focus. She knew the basic moves by heart, after reading the same books over and over. The training sword was a little bit too big for her, so she held it like a broadsword with two hands. 

_'Okay Anna. You can do it'_

Anna started by counting in her head, trying to find a rhythm. When she was satisfied with the one she had in mind, she started swinging her sword, repeating the same moves she saw in the book. Feeling confident, she moved her feet, balancing her weight to move in rhythm. Eventually she ended up moving in circle, still swinging her sword in different angles to attack and defend, unfazed by the people who were starting to gather around her, curious.

However her performance was cut short when she missed a side step and fell unladylike on the ground. Everyone started to laugh. 

_'Oh great Anna, you're such a klutz!' The blacksmith's daughter thought, embarrassed. 'No matter what you do, you can't do it right!!'_

However, the knight captain wasn't laughing, neither Tian nor Sophia. They were staring at her, serious. Eventually Alex helped Anna to stand up.

"Thanks, Sir." Anna whispered.

"Were you saying the truth when you said you never practiced with a sword?" The captain asked bluntly.

"Y…Yes." Anna replied surprised. _'God did she do it wrong?' 'Good job Anna; you embarrassed yourself once more in front of everyone.'_

"Do you want to become a royal knight?" Alex continued.

_'WHAT?'_

"What?" 

"Your moves were perfect, Anna, if not for this little accident at the end. If I didn't know it was your first time wielding a sword, I would have thought you had already months of training behind you. You have talent Anna. I don't want that talent to go to waste."

"I… I don't know. I never thought about being a royal knight…"

"I know. You prefer helping your father. I understand. You don't have to become a royal knight, but at least come training with us."

"I need to ask my father."

"I'll talk to him. I just want to know if you want to do it."

Anna stared at the knight captain, thinking. It was surreal. She had planned to deliver the swords and leaving just after. She never would have thought of being dragged onto the training grounds to use a sword and being asked to train with the royal knights. But, as crazy as it could be, Anna was excited; even ecstatic. She couldn't deny that she deeply enjoyed the exercise. She had felt free when she had been moving her sword, powerful when she attacked, confident when she defended. She was at peace. Sword fighting was becoming an escape for her. She knew it.

"I want." She said with confidence.

-X-

"Tian! No! Stop it" Anna heard Princess Elsa shouting.

"She knows your secret Princess. We must kill her." Tian announced with her light accent.

Anna gulped, the tip of Tian's broadsword on her throat. She had started her training only several weeks ago, and she already found herself in a real mess. 

It had taken hours for her father to accept Alex Renmeyer's proposition. At the end her father had agreed on the condition that Anna wouldn't become a royal knight. Anna didn't understand why he had been so vehement about it but she hadn't paid much attention. The beginnings had been difficult. She had been forced to juggle between the smithy and the barracks, and other soldiers had been wary of her presence among them. But she had never given up and eventually everything was going smoothly for her.

One day, after her training, Anna had discovered the entrance of the royal garden. That area was forbidden except for the royal family. Anna knew it. But Anna being Anna, she had opened the gates of the garden and entered, led by mere curiosity. But she hadn’t expected to find Princess Elsa of Arendelle having a picnic in the center of the garden. She also hadn’t expected the snowflakes coming out of the princess' hands to transform into a little snow fox running around her. She had let out a gasp of surprise, which had alerted the princess. Anna hadn’t had the time to explain herself as she had heard footsteps beside her. She had turned and had only had the time to see a blade swinging toward her neck to avoid it by bending backwards. Instinctively, she had grabbed her training sword on her belt to block the second attack that she had known would be coming. However she hadn’t expected the force behind it. The violence of the attack had disarmed her and made her fall on her back. She was now at the mercy of Tian's sword.

Anna had learned after the beginning of her training that Tian and Sophia were destined to become Princess Elsa's personal bodyguards after becoming royal knights. They were with the princess all the time, except when their presence was needed to train the new recruits. Even during those trainings, they adapted their schedule so at least one of them was still with the princess. Anna had trained with Tian once. She was sure of one thing. You didn't joke with her. She was the perfect example of someone who respected the rules and leniency was a foreign concept to her. Yet Anna could see a glimpse of compassion in her amber eyes. She just didn't show it really easily. Right now she didn't show it at all.

Anna closed her eyes. _'At least I saw a beautiful lady before dying… Wait… What?'_

All of sudden, a cry of pain alerted the redhead, who opened her eyes. Sophia was here. _'Oh thank you god!'_ The blacksmith's daughter sighed in relief. Sophia was more lenient than her partner. Everyone loved Sophia. She always smiled and was as cheerful as Anna. That's why she was usually the one who trained the new recruits. But her gentle nature was hiding a really perceptive person and sometimes a frightening one, like in this moment. Just now said royal knight was pulling Tian's ears to make her drop her sword.

"Really Tian." She smiled. "You know we mustn't dispute the princess' orders." 

"Are you alright?"

Anna turned her head to directly look at mesmerizing blue eyes. She couldn't stop a blush from appearing on her face. She was finally able to take a good look at the princess. Platinum hair pulled back in a bun, fair skin with light freckles on her cheek. The princess was utterly gorgeous. 

"Yes." Anna managed. 

The princess only smiled and extended her hand to help her stand up. 

"I'm sorry for this little accident. Tian is quite overprotective of me." Elsa hesitated.

"No I'm sorry." Anna said in haste. "I shouldn't have been here."

"Indeed." Tian interrupted her, but she was interrupted herself by Sophia who hit her on the head.

"I was just curious and wanted to visit the royal garden." Anna continued. "I didn't think I would find you here. I also never thought you had ice powers."

"About that… It would be nice if you kept that little detail a secret." The princess begged. 

"Why? Your power is really wonderful."

"Wonderful but dangerous. I still don't have full control over it. It is for the better that people don't know of my power. Please."

Anna observed Elsa for a moment, noticing the fear in her eyes and the frost on her fingers. The redhead only smiled. "I understand. Your secret is safe with me Princess!" 

Elsa smiled in return. "Thanks. It means a lot to me."

Anna felt butterflies in her stomach. She didn't know why but suddenly the princess' smile made her happy. She realized that she would do anything to see this smile on Elsa's face again and again. 

Eventually, the older girl invited Anna to have picnic with her. The young trainee couldn't refuse, especially when there was chocolate for dessert. Both of them were under the surveillance of the princess' bodyguards who had been silent the whole time.

"What is it Tian?" Sophia finally noticed the serious look on her partner. 

"I fear something may happen to the princess. Thorstein knows too much now. It may be dangerous."

"Let it go Tian. It may be time for the princess to have a friend aside from us. Anna is a sweet girl and a competent soldier. The princess is safe with her."

Tian only stayed silent.

-X-

"I love Elsa."

Those were the first words Anna pronounced when she woke up this morning. She had been seeing Elsa in secret for 3 months in the royal garden. After their first encounter, Elsa had asked, unsure, if Anna would like to come back the day after. Anna had gladly accepted. Since then, they had decided to meet every time Anna was free after her training, without anyone knowing about it. Tian and Sophia agreed on staying silent about their secret meetings, realizing how happy it made Elsa to finally be able to talk to someone who was not them. They just insisted on being present during their meetings. 

Anna enjoyed her time with the princess. They would laugh about anything they could think of, eat chocolate, talk or stay silent, enjoying each other’s presence. Sometimes Anna would train with Tian and Sophia; Elsa watching or training on her own with her power. They were always in the royal garden, their haven. It was after those three months that Anna realized she couldn't stop thinking of Elsa. She would remember her smile, her laugh and even her scent at night. Her dreams were only about the platinum haired girl with striking blue eyes. The redhead realized her feelings for her friend when she dreamed of her naked in bed and moaning Anna's name. When Anna woke up after her sudden discovery, she was scared at first. It was wrong. She was the daughter of a blacksmith, a commoner. Elsa was the princess of Arendelle. The most beautiful and perfect princess she had ever laid eyes upon. For several days, Anna was distant with Elsa. 'It was only a phase.' She thought. Surely the feeling would disappear in time. But it didn't and Anna could see how Elsa was suffering from her sudden distance. It broke Anna's heart as well. The more she was distant, the more it hurt both of them. Eventually Anna couldn't bear it anymore and asked Tian and Sophia for advice. She was scared. Scared that her friends – yes they were her friends now – would shout at her, saying it was wrong, and stop her from seeing the princess again. But no. They only smiled – and Tian shrugged.

"Took you long enough." The tanned woman smirked.

"You knew?" Anna stammered.

"You two were pretty obvious." Sophia answered.

"You agree on that?

"Your life will be difficult. More difficult than ours. You are the daughter of a blacksmith and she is a princess." Sophia continued. "But you are both strong. Take care of her Anna. Elsa needs you. Tian and I both agreed you are the right one for our princess."

Anna couldn't believe her ears. Tian and Sophia, Elsa's most trusted bodyguards and their friends accepted her love for the princess. She smiled. She couldn't deny it anymore. She deeply loved Elsa.

"I don't even know if Elsa loves me back." Anna realized.

Both royal knights laughed. 

"You're really oblivious for someone who knows how to read people." Tian responded.

Thus, the day after, Anna found herself beside Elsa in the royal gardens, eating chocolate. The soldier was stressed, not knowing how to initiate the conversation.

"Are you alright Anna? You haven't touched your chocolate." Elsa asked. She was as stressed as her friend. She eventually concluded that the distance between them was due to the fact that Anna didn't want to see her anymore. Elsa didn't want that. But she could do nothing to prevent that and had to accept the truth even if she would be devastated. 

"I don't feel like eating today." Anna smiled, still uneasy. 

Silence.

"Elsa?"

"Yes?"

"I want to tell you something."

"You don't want to be friends with me anymore."

"I..W … What??"

"You have been distant for several days. I thought it was because you didn't want to see me anymore."

"NO! Elsa no! That's not that. I… I just discovered I have feelings for someone." Anna declared. 'Okay I said it'

"Oh" Elsa didn't expect that. "Well… This person must be lucky then. Does this person return your feelings?", she dared to say. Elsa had fallen in love with Anna long time ago already. She had hoped for Anna to return her feelings even if a part of her was sure it was impossible. 

"I don't know." Anna noticed the glint of hope in the older girl's eyes. Instinctively she inched closer to Elsa. "I think she might."

Elsa looked at Anna, realizing the proximity of the latter. She came closer to Anna as well. "You think she might?"

At this point, Anna's face was only inches apart from Elsa's. She could feel icy breath on her skin and smell her lavender scent. "She doesn't seem to reject my advances."

Eventually they kissed. It was an inexperienced and clumsy one. But for both girls it was an explosion of sensation. It was soft. Anna could taste the chocolate Elsa had been eating earlier, while Elsa could feel the warmth of Anna's lips on her cold ones. Eventually they broke the kiss, in need of air. They looked at each other, eyes filled with love.

"Indeed." Elsa whispered. "She doesn't seem to reject your advances."

"I love you Elsa." Anna simply replied. 

"I love you too Anna."

-X-

"I'm going to be a royal knight." Anna declared, her head on Elsa's lap. Elsa was playing with her strawberry bangs, silently listening to her lover. Tian and Sophia were watching them but they were far enough to let the couple some privacy. As usual, the four of them were in the royal garden.

"A royal knight? I thought your father was against it." Elsa said, rising an eyebrow.

"I'll talk to him." 

"Why do you want to be a royal knight anyway? I thought you wanted to help your father at the smithy."

"So I can marry you."

"What? Elsa shouted surprised. 

"I am only a commoner, love. I can't marry you. Being a royal knight, I can marry people of the nobility or royalty. You for example.

"Anna do you realize what you are asking me"

Anna suddenly got up and looked at Elsa, serious. 

"I do. Elsa. I have been thinking about it for weeks now. We have been together for six months already. The best six months of my life."

Elsa blushed, which made Anna smile, endeared by her lover's reaction.

"But I want more Elsa. I want our relationship to not be a secret. I love you more than anything else Elsa and I want to show the world that you belong to me as I belong to you. I'll become a royal knight for you. It will take years before I actually become one. But when I do, no one will be able to stop us from being together."

"Anna…"

"Princess Elsa of Arendelle, will you marry me?"

At this moment Elsa was crying. She couldn't hold the tears back anymore. It was crazy. Anna was only 14 and she was 17. But at the same time, she knew deep inside her that Anna would keep her promise, as she would keep hers. She was sure of it. Still in tears, she managed saying "yes". Anna smiled, caressing her lover's cheek with her finger before kissing her. 

"I'm going to tell my father about my decision of being a royal knight and the good news." Anna said ecstatic. 

"I will tell mine too."

-X-

"Anna you're back!!" One soldier exclaimed. "We were getting worried because we haven’t seen you around. It has already been a week!"

"Sorry guys. I got into an accident in the forest and was stuck in bed." Anna smiled. 

"What happened?"

"I don't remember unfortunately. I have a memory loss according to the doctor."

"So you don't remember how you get that white strand in your hair either?"

Anna shook her head. 

"Well glad you are safe at least"

Anna laughed, still stiff because of her injuries. She tried to exercise some moves to ease the pain, when she noticed Tian and Sophia leaving the training grounds. "Hey guys, royal bodyguards’ duty?"

The two royal knights looked at her and only smiled. Sophia replied. "Yes!"

"Guys you are so lucky. I wish to meet the princess one day." Anna whined. 

Tian and Sophia said nothing and only waved at the redhead before entering the castle. They arrived in front of the princess’ bedroom. They stopped, feeling the cold emanating from it. They positioned themselves on each side of the door, back on the wall. 

"Princess?" Tian spoke. 

Silence. 

"Anna is getting better. She has recovered and is already resuming her training."

"And?" 

Tian heard Elsa through the door, her voice full of pain. 

"And as planned, she forgot everything about her encounters with you those last months and everything related to it."

"Good." 

A sob. 

The two royal knights could hear the ice growing behind and under the door. 

"Princess..." Tian started. "Don't you think it was a little bit extreme..."

"No it's better that way. Anna will be safer that way. She must forget me. It is better that she stay(ed) far away from the monster I am."

Tian took a glance at Sophia. The latter shook her head. They both knew that their master had made her choice and they wouldn’t be able to do anything about it. As dutiful bodyguards, they stayed silent and watched the princess of Arendelle, listening to her sobs without flinching.

On the other side of the door, Elsa was on the ground with her back on the door. She was looking at the snowflakes frozen in the air, eyes in tears. 

"Anna."


	2. Forces (by Susumu Hirawasa)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay, life had been hard recently, but everything should be fine from now on, and I'l do my best to update faster!  
> Also thanks for the follow, fav, and reviews!
> 
> Summary had been updated, since it was confusing... sorry for that :/
> 
> About the first chapter, I know it was quite fast. It was a prologue. I wanted to introduce Elsa and Anna first meeting, but not dwell on it, since it was not the main purpose of the story. So I can assure you, that the story will go smoothly and at a normal pace now.
> 
> Unedited chapter, because well... I need a beta XP So if someone is interested PM me. So sorry for all kind of mistakes you may find in that chapter :/
> 
> Review are really appreciated :))
> 
> Disclaimer: Frozen belong to Disney (obviously), the OCs are mine however. Elsanna story, so don't like it, don't read it.
> 
> Enjoy!

**One year later.**

"Princess?"

Elsa opened her eyes. The knock at the door startled her. She was sitting on the floor, her back on the door. Her memory still foggy, she wondered where she was again. Eventually she recognized her bed in the center of the room. However, her heart sank when she noticed the thin layer of snow on it. In fact the whole room was covered in snow, with snowflakes frozen in the air. 

She remembered. 

Her parents were dead. 

She was alone now. 

Elsa felt tears in her eyes. It shouldn't have happened like that. Two weeks. It was only a trip of two weeks to Corona. Everything should have been back to normal after this trip. But unfortunately fate decided of something else for her parents. Their ship got caught in a ruthless tempest on their way. It was a wonderful ship, made of the hardest wood in the whole kingdom and operated by the most skilled marines. But even the most magnificent ship couldn't resist the wrath of the ocean and only one huge wave has been enough to sink the ship. Elsa heard about the accident two weeks later after their departure, the day they were scheduled to arrive. That day it took all Elsa's will to not create a snow storm all over the kingdom. She succeeded in channeling her power and creating said snow storm in her bedroom, with Sophia and Tian making sure no one would notice the snow and cold temperature inside the castle during summer.  
The funeral has been organized two days later. Elsa had been ready to go. But at the last moment, her feelings had got better of her. She hadn't been able to control her power and had stayed in her room, with Tian guarding it, while Sophia had gone to the funeral.

"Princess?"

Elsa snapped out of her thoughts. 

A knock on the door. More insistent this time.

"Tian?" Elsa asked.

"Princess. God, I feared something happened to you while I was gone." The royal knight sighed in relief.

"Sorry Tian. I didn't want to scare you. I just fell asleep…"

"Don't worry about it. The events of those last days are having a toll on me as well…"

"How is Sophia?" The princess asked. 

Silence.

"It is hard for her as well." Tian eventually whispered. If not for the painful silence in the castle, Elsa wouldn't have heard her bodyguard. 

"I'm so sorry Tian."

The king and the queen were not alone on the ship. It was the royal knights' duty to protect the royal family wherever they go. Knight Captain Alex Renmeyer and other knights volunteered to escort the king and queen to Corona, while the commandment of the army had been given to his sister Olga Renmeyer in Arendelle. Sophia had learned of her father's death at the same time as Elsa. She had stayed stoic, emotionless even. She hadn't cried, but her usual smile on her face had disappeared. Tian and Elsa knew better. It was Sophia's coping mechanism: showing no emotion to feel nothing even if in reality the bodyguard has been devastated. It had been during the funerals she had her breakdown. The event happened three days ago. Since then, Tian had been juggling between taking care of Sophia and protecting Elsa. When the bodyguard was with her partner, it was Olga Renmeyer, now Knight Captain, who was protecting the remaining royal member in the castle. Elsa has been relieved of this decision, since Olga had been her first bodyguard before Tian and Sophia. In her actual state, she wouldn't have been able to deal with a perfect stranger in front of her door.

"I would like to request you something, Princess." Tian eventually asked, behind the door.

"What is it Tian?" 

"I wish to take Sophia outside of the city for her to take her mind off things. It will be for one day only."

"Of course you can."

"Someone needs to look after you tomorrow then."

"Olga can't do it?"

"Unfortunately no. Our troops are scheduled to leave Arendelle in five days. Olga is taking care of the preparations with the other Royal Knights."

"Oh right."

Elsa berated herself for forgetting something so important. Before leaving, her father agreed to help an ally in war with a rival country. Because of diplomatic reasons, the king decided to deploy his royal knights into the war to help that ally. Olga and other royal knights had agreed to go.

"Then don't worry about it Tian. I'm sure nothing will happen in one day. The royal guards will keep me safe." Elsa reassured, not wanting to be the reasons for Tian to cancel her outing with Sophia.

"I won't let you alone Princess and I have thought of someone already."

"Who?"

Silence.

"Tian?"

"I will ask Anna for her help."

"NO!" Elsa shouted. Her answer was immediate. Abruptly, memories of the accident of last year were flowing in Elsa's mind. The room was getting colder as fear was taking over her. "I made the choice of staying far away from Anna and you know why!"

"And I think you remember that I didn't approve of your extreme decision."

"Anna doesn't remember me or anything that happened that day, so obviously that put an end to our relationship." Elsa said, more to her than to Tian. Elsa had kept repeating that sentence in her head, making it her mantra when her resolve was shaky. It was the most rational solution. Elsa couldn't be with Anna anymore. She couldn’t see her. It was impossible.

Suddenly, it dawned on Elsa.

"Tian, I hope you are not choosing Anna so she can remember everything by being by my side."

"I won't deny that I thought about it. But it was not the main reason why I chose Anna."

"Why then?"

"I chose Anna because she is the only one who is skilled enough to protect you and I trust her to do so."

Elsa stayed silent. Except for the Renmeyer and Arendelle family, Tian had never trusted anyone, mostly because of her childhood and what happened to Elsa when she was young. Her trust was destined to the people she deeply cared for. So her trust for Anna was no empty words. 

Those words were breaking Elsa's resolve right now. She was so weak. There she was adamant on her distance between Anna and her, how it was the most logical decision and the good one. When in reality, she couldn't deny that she missed Anna. She missed her smile, her laugh, her lips and fingers caressing her skin. The past year had been a pure torture for Elsa to see her former lover, the only person she would ever love, not remembering her and continuing her life like nothing happened. It hurt. Elsa was craving for Anna's presence and she couldn’t have it. Not anymore.

_'No Elsa! You mustn't…'_

"Please Elsa." Tian whispered desperate, forgetting all formalities.

That was it. The princess' resolve had been undone by this simple sentence. She stood up and opened the door. Tian turned around, surprised. Elsa gasped when she noticed the dark rings under the taller woman's eyes. She realized that Sophia and she were not the only ones who were suffering. Tian lost also the most important people in her life, the ones who offered her a new life, a second chance. Despite her pain, Tian stayed strong for both of them, until now. 

_'I'm such an idiot.'_ Elsa thought.

Suddenly, Elsa put her arms around Tian's waist and her forehead on her shoulder. Tian jumped a little at the sudden and close action.

"I'm so selfish sometimes." Elsa whispered. 

"You're not…" Tian tried to reply.

"I am Tian. I almost refused you one day alone with Sophia only because of selfish reasons…"

"They are not selfish…"

Tian was stopped by Elsa's finger on her lips.

"Listen to your princess, would you?" Elsa laughed. "You can go and ask Anna for her help. But if she refuses, I'll be in my bedroom with no bodyguard. That's my final word."

Tian sighed, a little smile on her face.

"Thank you little snow fox." Tian whispered before kissing Elsa's forehead.

Elsa smiled at the use of her old nickname. It reminded her of the old times when she and Sophia had helped Tian to adapt to her new life. Several minutes later, Tian backed away and bowed.

"In that case princess, I shall take my leave for a few minutes. I'll be back shortly."

Tian left.

-X-

"What?" Anna shouted.

The redhead had just finished her training, when Tian came to her. Immediately Anna bowed and stood at attention. But she didn't expect Tian's request and stared at the bodyguard, mouth agape and eyes widened. 

"You heard me right Anna. I would like to know if you could look after Princess Elsa tomorrow." Tian smiled. 

"But…I … Why can't you tomorrow? And why me?" 

"I'm taking Sophia outside of the city, so she could rest for a day."

"Oh I see." Anna nodded. She has been present during the funerals. So she saw when Sophia gave in to her true feelings and broke down in the middle of the place. She had helped her friend until Tian had arrived a moment later.

"… And I chose you Anna because I know you are capable of protecting the princess. So are you up for the job?"

"I… I…" Anna stuttered. Eventually she composed herself and looked at Tian, serious. "It would be an honor to serve the Arendelle family."

Tian gave a genius smile. "Thanks little fox." She bowed and left afterward to go back to the princess. Anna watched Tian departing, looking calm in appearance. But in reality there was a big turmoil inside her.

_'Oh my God! Oh my God! I'm going to meet the princess tomorrow! Okay. Calm yourself Anna. It's no big deal… What are you saying? Of course it's a big deal! I'm going to protect Elsa of Arendelle! The last royal member. Oh my God! What happened if I screw up and she'll die? I'll be responsible for the downfall of the kingdom. What am I going to do?'_

Anna hadn't been able to have a good night rest that night.

-X-

A knock at the door.

Anna gulped. Here she was in front of the princess' bedroom, Tian by her side, waiting. Saying she was nervous was an understatement, as Anna started playing with one of her braids. Tian noticed it and laughed.

"Relax Anna."

"What if I screw up everything?" The redhead protested. 

"Everything will be fine. I know you are…"

But Tian didn't finish her sentence as both of them heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Tian?" Elsa asked.

"Princess, Anna Thorstein is here." The bodyguard announced in a formal manner.

"Very well. You can go then Tian. Have a good day."

It was subtle, but Tian could discern fear in Elsa's voice. It was understandable. One year. Elsa and Anna hadn't seen each other for one year. The bodyguard could understand the princess' apprehension about the whole situation. Anna was here, close to her. But she remembered nothing of their relationship and their moments together. Being close to someone and far away at the same time; what a cruel punishment for the princess.

"Anna, I'm letting everything on your shoulder now then." Tian declared a smile on her face. But the sadness in her eyes didn't escape Anna's attention, who starting to worry.

"Is something wrong Tian?" She asked.

"Nothing it concerns you." Tian lied. Then she whispered in Anna's ears.

"I would be grateful however if you succeed in making Princess Elsa leave her room to take a breath of fresh air outside. She needs it."

Then Tian winked at Anna, who stared at her speechless.

Without a word, Tian walked away and joined Sophia, who was waiting for her at the other end of the corridor. She looked tired, big dark circles around her eyes. But she was smiling, waiting for Tian. Anna couldn't suppress a smile on her face, when she saw Tian and Sophia kissing and walking hand in hand. Anna envied their love. She had wished to find her soul mate one day as well. But until now she hadn't found the one. Right?

In silence, Anna positioned herself in front of the royal's door to guard it. 

A yawn.

Only one hour had passed and Anna was already bored. _'Gosh how Tian and Sophia do it?'_ Anna groaned. This entire part of the royal palace was totally silent, except for the sounds of one or two handmaid's steps through the corridor. No one except a few people was permitted to enter the royal apartments. Anna had always wondered why so much safety to protect the princess, when the entire castle was a fortress, watched by both royal guards and knights.

Anna heard movements behind the door, confirming her that Princess Elsa was still in her bedroom. 'Good. No accident so far. You are improving Anna! And… You are starting to talk to yourself again.' Anna frowned. She was more bored than she thought if she had already started her internal monologue to pass the time. So she looked at the windows before her on the other side of the corridor. She had a nice view of the training grounds. The sky was cloudless. Rays of sun were illuminating the fjords, and it was not too hot for a summer day. It was a perfect day to go outside. 

_'Ah yes.'_ Anna suddenly remembered Tian's request. 

However she had no idea how to convince the princess to leave her bedroom to go outside. She knew nothing of the princess that could help her.

_'Horse riding? Hmmm bad idea Anna. You'll be in trouble if the princess fell from her horse… Fishing? Oh my! What would happen if she falls in the lake? I'm doomed…'_

Each time Anna would think of a scenario, each time she would imagine the worst. After several minutes of intense reflection, she was starting to have a headache and feeling uncomfortable in her actual position. Anna adjusted her sword on her back to ease the pressure on her shoulder. Her father had forged it for her as a present. Since then, Anna had particularly taken care of it. 

_'Sword? … That's it!'_

 

A knock.

Anna waited. 

"Yes?"

"Princess Elsa. It's me Anna Thorstein. Well I'm the only one in the corridor, so yeah it's me…"

_'Oh no Anna don't start with you rambling'_

"I wanted to know, since the weather is nice today, if you would like to go outside. My father is working on several weapons for the royal guards right now. I wonder if you would like to see his work."

Anna didn't know why but when she had thought about it for the first time, it had seemed to be a good idea. But now that she was waiting for an answer, she was not so sure anymore. True it was interesting for her since it was her job. But now was it for the princess?

"I mean if you want it of course." Anna added in haste. "I just thought that it would be interesting for you to see how a blacksmith works. But I realize now you will be bored. Not that you're boring of course! Forging is boring. No wait! I didn't mean it like that…"

_'Anna… you suck.'_ The redhead groaned. 

She closed her eyes and leaned with her back on the door. 

"Forget it. I'm…" Anna started apologizing when she heard the door being unlocked. She didn't have time to realize what was happening when she found herself falling backward. She tried to grasp something to stop her fall, but there weren't any. She closed her eyes then and waited for the impact. However she felt nothing except for an arm on her back and another around her waist, supporting her in midair. _'Lavender? I know that scent.'_ Anna opened her eyes and was welcome by a pair of clear blue eyes. _'Familiar.'_

"Beautiful." Anna said out loud without realizing it.

Princess Elsa blushed, her worry replaced with surprise. She hadn't expected Anna's words. Well she hadn't expected a falling Anna when she opened her door either. Hopefully she has been fast enough to catch her in her arms. Her arms? Finally Elsa realized in what position she was with Anna. The latter was in her arms, her face only an inch away from hers. Close. Too close. The sudden realization made Elsa yelp and remove her hands from Anna's body. Anna's eyes widened at the sudden disappearance of said hands.

She fell.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" Elsa exclaimed, realizing what she had done.

"No! No! Don't worry! I'm fine." Anna smiled as she got up, massaging her butt. "I shouldn't have startled you by saying you are beautiful… Not that you aren’t beautiful. You're gorgeous in fact. Wait what?" 

Elsa's blush deepened. Anna had always succeeded in making her blush with her compliments. She smiled at the thought. Even now, she still did it.

"I'm sorry really. I should have warned you that I was opening the door." Elsa said.

"No it's me who shouldn't have leaned on the door." Anna replied in haste, clearly embarrassed.

Eventually, both girls laughed. 

Anna relaxed. For ten years, rumors had circulated in the kingdom about the princess hidden in the royal castle. The rumors had been numerous and most of them stupid (like that one about the princess being a dragon in disguise). But the fact was the princess was a whole mystery. Only a few people had seen her and usually those people were silent concerning the royal member. Anna had expected the worse and feared to make a fool of herself in front of the princess. Well technically she had. But the princess hadn't mocked her and had only apologized. Like Tian and Sophia had said, Princess Elsa was a kind person and the rumors about her were just rumors.

"Well…" Anna eventually said. "I think I should go back to my post. Sorry for disturbing you."

"Oh." Elsa hesitated. "I thought you wanted to show me the smithy."

"You want to see it?" Anna asked in disbelief. She didn't expect that answer.

"It was the reason why I opened the door. It was to tell you yes." Elsa smiled.

"Oh that's great!" Anna shouted, excited. But she stopped when she remembered she was talking with the soon-to-be ruler of Arendelle. "I mean… In that case Princess, I'll be delighted to guide you there." She stated red of embarrassment. "Though, it would be preferable for you to change in more casual clothes to go outside. I don't think it would be wise to wander in the city as the princess of Arendelle. I will have more trouble to protect you."

Elsa nodded. Indeed, her actual dress was quite ostentatious to wander in the kingdom. "Let me a moment to change then."

"I'll be in front of your door, Princess." 

A small laugh escaped Elsa's lips. "You can call me Elsa, Anna."

Anna stared at Elsa, mouth agape. "I… I… Okay Princ… I mean Elsa."

Elsa's smile widened. Eventually she closed the door.

-X-

Elsa didn't know what went through her mind to accept the invitation. She could have stayed silent the whole day. Anna would have stayed in front of her bedroom until Tian and Sophia's return. She would have left and both women would have never met again. But everything had changed when Elsa had heard Anna's voice through the door. Her voice. Her suave voice. Elsa had tried to resist to the temptation of opening the door. She had resisted until she had heard Anna again. This time there had been disappointment in her voice. It has been the straw that breaks the camel's back. It was only for a day, Elsa had said to herself. There was no harm in seeing Anna only for a day. Everything would be fine. Thus she had got up and opened the door to see Anna falling in her arms. She had missed her. Deeply. When Anna had smiled she couldn't but smiled at her turn, a warm feeling awakening inside her finally after a year.

Elsa didn't waste time to change and ended up in dark tight pants and a blue tunic. She had been lucky that Sophia gave her those clothes for emergencies that would force her to leave the castle. Elsa put on her gloves and looked at herself in the mirror, checking if she was presentable. She was.

_'Okay let's go! No turning back Elsa!'_

Resolute, she opened the door of her bedroom. Anna was waiting for her, steadfast in front of the door like a perfect bodyguard. The royal smiled. Anna was anxious; otherwise she wouldn't be so tensed. But Elsa felt a pang in her chest and her smiled disappeared, realizing that Anna was tensed because of her. For the younger girl, Elsa was the princess of Arendelle, soon-to-be ruler of the kingdom. In other words, she was unreachable and powerful. She was "her master", the person she had to obey and respect, and not anymore her friend and lover. What they had in the past was gone now and it was hurting Elsa.

Anna turned around after hearing the door opening. She froze when she saw Elsa. The latter could discern a light blush in the knight's cheeks. 

_'At least I still have an effect on her.'_ The princess smirked. 

"Ready to go?" Elsa asked. 

"Yes we are." Anna reacted, snapping out of her trance. 

"Good then..."

"Wait" Anna suddenly said. 

"Is there a problem?" 

"Your hair." 

Elsa instinctively touched her hair, still tied in a bun. 

"You are still recognizable with your hair style. We need to change it. May I?"

Elsa nodded, by reflex. She regretted it immediately when she felt Anna's hands on her head. She was not ready for that and so closed her eyes, warmth gathering in her cheeks. Anna's hands had changed. They were now calloused, because of her training with the royal knights and her father. But to Elsa's surprise, they were still soft. Her touch was tender, like they were handing a flower with care. It was still the same as before. It took Elsa's all willpower to not moan because of it. The royal eventually opened her eyes, overwhelmed by the sensations. She met however Anna's eyes. Deep teal eyes, filled with longing?

_'Maybe it was not the best choice.'_ Elsa realized. 

Before she knew it, Elsa felt her bun being untied and her braid, now free, being brought on her left shoulder. Anna didn't move afterward, still gingerly holding Elsa's braid between her fingers. Her other hand slowly reach for Elsa's fringe to pull it back and clear the princess' vision, to see those clear blue eyes. Accidentally her fingers brushed pale skin. Elsa gasped at the contact. Immediately Anna pulled her hand back, realizing what she was doing a moment ago. She panicked and walked away. 

"I... I'm sorry! I shouldn't have..." Anna stuttered. She didn't know what got her. When she touched Elsa's hair she felt tingles in her fingers, a familiar sensation that persuaded her to keep going. The feeling had been emphasized by the princess deep opal eyes, and she could do nothing but being drawn to them. _'So familiar'_

"Don't worry. It's alright." Elsa reassured her, her cheeks red.

"You're sure?" Anna was not convinced.

"Yes. Look" 

She passed her hands through her hair to pull them back. She secretly froze the strands to keep them in place. Anna was gaping at her, astonished by the princess' new look. 

"H... How?" She inquired. 

"That's my little secret." Elsa smiled. "So ready to go?"

Anna nodded, still shaken by the event of earlier. But she quickly got hold of herself and left, with the princess by her side, the castle.

Anna was tensed. When she had thought of seeing her father, she had forgotten the crowded streets she had to go through to reach him. All her senses were in alert, checking out any potential threats around her and the princess. Fortunately, Elsa's disguise seemed to work as no one was paying attention to her. For all that, Anna didn't relax though. The danger was still present. Tian gave her a mission: protecting Elsa. And protecting her she would. The frown already present on Anna's face deepened. The young knight was so focused on her mission she didn't notice Elsa slowly closing the gap between them. However she did feel gloved fingers intertwining with hers. She stared at the princess next to her, totally startled and red.

"Pr… Elsa… What are you doing?" She stuttered.

"I think people will get less suspicious if we act like a young couple than a knight protecting a princess, don't you think." Elsa smiled.

"I…I…" Anna tried to form words in her head, but to no avail. So she ended up staring at her protégée mouth agape, and red to the ears. Eventually she looked away, but her blush didn't disappear, initiating a small laugh from Elsa.

_'Oh my god Anna! Get yourself together! Be professional!'_ The knight chastised herself.

But the task happened difficult as long fingers were touching hers. It was quite distracting and she got more tensed. After several minutes, both girls arrived at the smithy. Elsa automatically released Anna's hand. The bodyguard was thankful of the action, but deep inside her she felt a pang in her chest at the loss of contact. Without realizing it, Anna got used to the princess' touches, or she had been already? Anna frowned. It was not the first time she had those sensations of déjà-vu. But it was the first time, they were so intense.

"Anna? What are you doing here?" 

The redhead snapped out of her thoughts and looked at her father. _'Ha yes'_

"Dad! I want to show my friend the wonder of forging. Is it okay if she can watch?"

A pause. 

Vlad looked at both women, thinking. Anna tensed, hoping her father wouldn't recognize Elsa, or the situation would be more awkward than it was already. Elsa seemed anxious too. 

"Okay, bring the bench here, so she could see." He eventually said.

Anna released her breath she had been holding without noticing it. _'Good.'_ She quickly entered her house and came back with a small bench she put next to the workshop. She put her sword on the bench, invited Elsa to sit and sat next to her. Vlad didn't waste time and started working, with Anna explaining all the process to the princess.

-X-

Elsa nodded as Anna's explanation, but she wasn't listening. She was repeating in her head the sooner events, when she took Anna's hand in her own. It was a bold move. She knew it. But after she saw Anna being tense because of her, she had to do something. The situation was becoming dangerous. Elsa had sworn to distance herself from Anna, and here she was with the person she had been trying to avoid. The worst? She didn't care anymore. The more she was watching Anna talking, the more she realized that her decision a year ago was totally stupid. It would be so easy to tell her the truth now so they would be together once again. Anna would remember everything if she told her about the accident, their past together, about…

Elsa froze.

_'About that…'_ No. She couldn't. She couldn't tell her the truth. No. If she told her the truth, she had to tell her that…

"Relax Elsa." Anna interrupted her line of thought.

"W…What?" 

"You are clutching your gloves in your hands."

Elsa looked at said gloves in her hands, surprised she had removed them without realizing it. _'Damn'_. Anna had always insisted that she removed her gloves when they were together. She had done it by reflex.

"You always do that when you're stressed…" Anna added. "What?"

Anna blinked. _'How do I know that?'_ Suddenly, she felt a huge pain in her head. She closed her eyes and winced. 

Elsa stared at her, horrified. Anna still had faint snippets of the past without being aware of them. However she was having a headache because of them. _'What will happen if I tell her everything?'_ Elsa noticed Anna's white strand and memories of the past filled her mind.

Screams. Snow. Anna…

Elsa's breath became ragged as fear was creeping in her mind. The temperature around the bench was falling and Elsa looked at her bare hand which was touching the bench. Frost and ice were spreading across the bench. _'No no!'_ Elsa checked on Anna, relieved that her bodyguard had still her eyes closed. But it wouldn't be for long.

Indeed, Anna was already feeling better, the headache slowly subsiding. Elsa panicked, trying desperately to control her power, but couldn't in her state. Suddenly, when Anna was going to open her eyes, she heard her father calling her.

"Anna! I need your help!"

Anna immediately got up and ran toward her father, recognizing his tone. When he was talking like this, there was no place for an argument and time for him to wait. She took her tools and helped him, not noticing the state of the bench meanwhile. Elsa was grateful for it. Alone on the bench and making sure no one was looking at her; the princess closed her eyes and focused. _'Conceal, don't feel.'_ Gradually, the bench was back to its initial state, with no traces of ice and frost anymore. Elsa sighed in relief. She quickly put her gloves back on and acted like nothing happened, watching the Thorstein family working. 

Vlad was controlling the temperature of the foundry and turning the blade from side to side, while Anna was hammering it. Because of the warmth of the fire, the redhead was sweating already after several minutes. Elsa noticed that particular sweat drop that started from Anna's temple to follow the line of her neck and end up in her shirt, surely between her breasts…

_'Stop it Elsa! Bad! Bad girl!'_ Elsa blushed and looked away. She was wrong. She shouldn't have accepted Anna's proposition and stayed in her room. The earlier accident was the proof. She couldn't be near Anna. She needed to leave.

After a couple of hours, Anna and Vlad eventually finished the sword. Elsa had watched, silent and attentive, despite her inner turmoil. She wanted to leave, but it would have been rude to do it in the middle of the show. It would have hurt Anna, who was so eager to show her the foundry.  
When Anna turned around to show her the sword, grinning, Elsa smiled as well. But unknown to her, the royal wasn't able to fool Anna with her smile and the knight froze when she saw the sadness in the princess' eyes. She felt an arch in her heart assuming that Elsa didn't enjoy the show. Her smile disappeared. 

"Thank you for this demonstration Anna, M. Thorstein." Elsa started. "I think it is time for me to leave now." She got up.

"Wait!" Anna suddenly shouted. Elsa looked at her surprised. "The day is not over…" 

_'Stop it Anna, you're a failure, it's over.'_ The redhead heard in her head. Her inner voice was right. She had failed one of her mission. She should now stick to her primary one: protecting the princess on her way home. But no. She couldn't give up like that. She didn't know why but Elsa's happiness mattered to her. Right now, the princess was not happy. It was not right.

"I know a place. A really beautiful place… I would like to know if you would accept to go there with me, to have lunch."

"I don't know…" Elsa whispered.

"Please." 

Silence.

Elsa sighed. _'I'm such a masochist.'_ She thought. "How can I refuse now?" She genuinely smiled. 

Anna beamed. "Okay, wait here! I'm going to clean myself and prepare everything." She ran in her house.

Elsa waited, standing near the bench, while Vlad was silently cleaning the workplace to continue his work. Both people stayed silent until Elsa spoke.

"Thank you for earlier. I really thought that Anna would have discovered everything."

"It was nothing your highness." He only replied.

"Please, call me Elsa, Vlad. After what happened, I'm sure formalities are not needed."

"I'm still trying to figure out why you are both here… together."

Elsa laughed. "I think Tian asked Anna to stop me from sulking alone in my bedroom. Anna thought of making me visit the forge. She always does that when she wants me to relax. Always the forge. She loves and respects you a lot."

"But it didn't stop her from wanting to become a royal knight at the end."

"She wanted to because of me, and I apologize for that. It was my mistake."

The blacksmith stopped everything and glanced at the princess. She was looking at the ground, apologizing. She had her arms crossed, her hands holding tightly her arms. She was tensed. Vlad couldn't do anything but admire her selflessness. She was taking the entire burden on her shoulder, even when it was not her responsibility to carry it. He sighed.

"I should be the one to apologize to both of you. You are both suffering because of us." He said.

"It doesn't matter anymore. Anna and I are living our own life now. She will be a great blacksmith. I'm sure."

Before Vlad could speak, Anna burst into the workshop, dressed with clean clothes and a small package in her hand.

"Okay ready to go." She grinned.

Both Vlad and Elsa grinned as well. Anna's smile was really contagious. Without wasting time, Anna picked up her sword and left the workshop, followed by the princess. Before leaving though she turned toward her father.

"Till tonight dad!"

"Take care firefly."

-X-

"Here have some chocolate." Anna grinned.

Elsa eagerly took one piece from the box before looking back at Arendelle and the fjords while eating.  
The place, Anna has been talking about, was a small clearing outside of the city by the sea. It was a peaceful place, not too hot thanks to a small wind to freshen up the air.  
When they had arrived earlier, Anna had put a picnic tablecloth on the grass and had invited Elsa to sit. She had sat next to her and immediately opened the package she had brought with her to reveal chocolates. Elsa had genuinely smiled at the view of the pastry. Both girls ate in silence. Without realizing it, Anna was letting to Elsa all her favorite chocolate, which made the latter smile. 

Eventually in no time, they emptied the box. They didn't move afterward, just admiring the view. Neither the girls dared to talk by fear of the other's reaction. Anna had noticed the changes in Elsa's attitude. The princess had distanced herself. The closeness they had shared before arriving at the forge was not there anymore. Anna deeply believed it was because of her and her decision to show her the smithy. She berated herself for that. 

"Elsa?" Anna finally said.

"Yes?"

"Did I do something wrong?"

"Of course not, why?" 

"Since we left the smithy, you seemed… sad. Is it because of the demonstration or did I do something wrong?"

"No NO. You did nothing wrong and I really liked your demonstration." Elsa quickly replied. "It's just… I realized that things are changing now and not in the way I wished for." She looked away. _'We will never be together and I'll be alone until the end.'_

Anna observed the princess, deducing that the latter was talking about her parents.

"You know." She started. "When my mother died, I felt lost. She had always been there for dad and I. Dad worked all day to forget. At that time I couldn't do much to help him, so I started wandering from places to places. I discovered that place, one day when I got lost. I stayed here for a moment, thinking. At the end, that place helped me to feel better. To let it go. So when I feel a little bit down I always come here."

"Anna…"

"That's why I wanted to show you that place. If you happen to have a really bad day or feel sad, you are free to come here. I haven't lost both of my parents. But I know that if I were to lose dad, I would be devastated."

"Anna…"

"I know that life will be hard for you soon. You'll have a kingdom to rule, people to protect and help. But you must know that you are not alone."

Elsa froze.

"People care for you. Tian and Sophia are here for you. I am here for you, if you let me of course." Anna laughed. But she stopped when she glanced at Elsa. Tears were gathering in the princess' eyes. _'Damn what did I do again? Anna can't you do anything right?'_

Elsa couldn't believe it. How Anna did this? How did she know the words to comfort her? How was it possible for her to be so perfect? 

_'I love her so much'_

Elsa wanted to hold Anna in her arms, to say she loved her, to kiss her. But she couldn't. Anna was now unreachable and that was eating her inside. She couldn't stop her tears from falling.

Anna started to panic.

"Oh no I'm sorry. I didn't want to make you cry! I…"

But the bodyguard didn't have time to finish her sentence as she felt slender arms around her waist, holding her tight, and Elsa's head in the crook of her neck, sobbing. Anna froze. 'Okay I didn't expect that.' 

"Thank you." Elsa managed to say between sobs.

Anna's expressions softened. She slightly relaxed to accommodate her new position and put her arms around the princess. She massaged her back in a comforting manner while saying nice words in her ears.

"It is my duty to make you happy." She eventually whispered.

-X-

"Anna."

The redhead looked up and saw Tian and Sophia in the corridor. After Elsa had eventually calmed herself, they decided to go back to the royal castle. Elsa had entered her room, thanking Anna for her journey and closed the door. Anna guarded the door, waiting for Elsa's personal bodyguard to come.

She bowed at the view of Tian and Sophia.

"Tian, Sophia. I hope you had a great day." She smiled.

"It was great indeed." Sophia replied, smiling and obviously feeling better. Tian gave her a small peck on her lips, glad as well.

"I hope that you have fulfilled your mission with success, Anna." Tian finally asked.

"Yes both of them." Anna only answered.

"Thank you for your help then. We will take it from there."

Anna bowed. She gave a side glance to the door before walking away. Tian and Sophia took their places on both side of the door. They waited a moment until they heard Elsa talking. 

"Thank you Tian."

"I don't know what you are talking about Princess." Tian said a small smile on her face.

Elsa chuckled. She was not a fool. Only one person could possibly cheer her up in those dark times. Tian did everything to bring that person to her. Elsa couldn't lie to herself she was grateful that Tian did it. Despite the hurtful events, she had enjoyed the day. She felt at peace. That day has opened her eyes, it was time to let it go.

"I'm glad that you are back also Sophia." She added.

"Sorry for my absence, princess."

"No need to apologize."

-X-

Anna was leaving the royal palace when she stopped and turned around. She stared at a window, the window just in front of the princess' bedroom. Then she looked at her hands, still feeling tingles in her fingers. Again she had that sensation of déjà-vu when she had been with Elsa. This time the feeling had been intense when she had hugged her. It felt right and when they departed, Anna felt empty. What was happening to her? She had met the princess for the first time only today, but her body had reacted like she had known her all her life.

Anna shook her head and left


	3. PRIDE (by HIGH and MIGHTY Color)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so things happened and I was not able to update as fast as I thought. Sorry for that. I'm not a fast writer, and I had trouble to find the words for this chapter. I made some minor modifications in the first chapter but nothing too important.
> 
> Sorry for the mistakes you can find in that chapter. I'm still looking for a beta XP
> 
> Disclaimer: Frozen belong to Disney, all the OCs belong to me.

**Three years later.**

Klang. 

Klang. 

Vlad Thorstein opened his eyes. He could see nothing except for the faint glow of the moon through the window of his bedroom. It was still dark outside.

Klang. 

Klang. 

"What the…?"

Vlad got up. Still sleepy, he put some clothes on him and left his bedroom. Slowly he walked toward the forge, where the sound was coming from, and entered. The fire had been lit. Someone was working. With no surprise, it was his daughter Anna, who was hammering white hot metal on the anvil. She had a thick leather protective apron above her shirt and pants. Her hair was tied in a single braid, and she was wearing a bandana to prevent strands of hair from falling over her eyes. 

Vlad observed his daughter working, standing in a corner of the room. He suddenly felt a pang in his chest when he realized how much she had changed. The little girl he had raised for eighteen years had become an accomplished young woman. For the last three years, Anna had kept helping her father in the smithy despite her training with the royal knights. At the end, she became a very capable blacksmith, and even started taking orders to relieve some pressure from her parent's shoulders. After years of using hammers and swords, Anna had developed a well-toned body and muscles. She still had kept a slender figure, but she didn't look as feminine as the others women of her age. It worried Vlad a little. Since his wife passed out, he had never married again and had raised Anna alone. He raised her like he had been raised, like a blacksmith. 

"Father?" Anna had stopped hammering, feeling a presence in the room.

"Good morning firefly." Vlad smiled.

"I'm sorry. I woke you up, didn't I?" She hesitated. 

"I wasn't sleepy anymore."

"Liar." She chuckled. "I'm sorry dad."

"Why are you up so early anyway?"

"I wanted to finish a sword before sending it to the Royal Knight for the ceremony of this afternoon." Anna resumed her work, the sound of hammer echoing in the room. 

"I thought you finished the sword days ago."

"I did, but you remember that pommel that I imagined but couldn't put it on the greatsword?" 

"Yes I remember."

"I felt bad for not using it, so I thought why not creating a sword for it. Since I have no idea for whom the sword is destined, I have thought of creating a broadsword in addition to the greatsword as well.

"And you decided to do it at four in the morning?"

"I needed to start early to finish it before sending the swords to the royal palace… and I got the idea at the last minute…" The redhead said, scratching her head.

"Won't you be too tired for this afternoon?"

"It's only a delivery dad. I'm sure I can manage it." Anna laughed.

Vlad stayed silent, staring at his daughter. _'If only she knew…'_ He promised Olga to say nothing about the ceremony. But at this rate Anna wouldn't even be able to lift a sword this afternoon.

"Do you want some help firefly? Or do you think your father too old for that?" He grinned.

"Of course you can help me dad!" Anna beamed. 

Vlad didn't waste time. He put his work clothes and walked toward his daughter. 

They finished forging the blade several hours later. It was noon and Anna had to leave in two hours. So she quickly added the finishing touches by adjusting the pommel on the blade. Her father watched her from afar. 

Assembling the sword was the key part in the making process of a sword. The blacksmith would give the weapon a part of their soul, a purpose. That part made each sword unique and bound to its maker. Anna, and only her, had been asked to create the sword. Vlad's job was done for now. But that didn't stop him from talking. 

"Firefly?"

"Yes dad?" Anna replied, without looking away from the sword.

"Are you happy?"

Anna stared at her father, surprised by the question. 

"I mean." He continued. "Do you regret being a blacksmith and a knight, when you could have another life more suited for you?"

Anna stayed silent for a moment, trying to form the perfect answer in her head. She felt her father's eyes on her, dreading the truth. 

"It's true I dreamt of a knight in shining armor coming to save me when I was young, because of all those stories mum told me…"

Vlad paled at the confession.

"… But now I am the knight in shining armor… in a way of course, but still I'm the one who saves the pretty ladies now, and that is much better." The redhead smirked. 

This time, Vlad stared at his daughter and could do nothing but laugh to his heart's content. Yes, he forgot that little detail about his daughter. 

"Stop laughing at me dad!" Anna retorted, despite the smile on her face. "I was serious!" 

He laughed harder, which made Anna laugh as well. Then she became serious again.

"I will never regret my choices dad. I won't trade anything for what I have now, because you were the one to teach me. You are the best dad ever."

At this moment, Vlad Thorstein felt a wave of pride overcoming him. Sometimes he wondered how lucky he had been to have such a perfect daughter.

"After all, I know you did everything to make me happy. So why would I regret my decisions?"

The blacksmith's smile faltered. Fortunately Anna went back to her work, and didn't see the change of emotion on his father's face. Sudden realization struck Vlad. No. He was not the best father ever. He was the worst. _'If I was the best father, Anna, right now you would have been with Elsa and not here.'_

-X-

Anna took a deep breath. She raised her arm, the broadsword in her hand and started to move. First she made circular movements with her wrist to see if the hilt wasn't hindering her hand and if the sword was well-balanced. After several minutes, she started to make basic moves: side steps, parry, side steps, feint and attacks. Anna usually fought with a two-handed sword. The best defense was the attack. However she was no fool, and knew that a two-handed sword may not be the best strategy in particular situations. So she had asked Sophia to teach her fencing, just in case. After several minutes of practice, Anna, satisfied by the performance, stopped. She took a look at the weapon in her hand and smiled. The pommel of the sword, she created days ago, was pretty simple and was constituted of a handle and a hilt, much like the pommel of a rapier. The white hilt covered most of her hand for protection, without stopping her moves. The blade was a long one-edge razorblade. Though the complexity of the weapon, it was light and easy to handle. It was as perfect as the greatsword she made days ago. Anna felt a pang in her chest at the thought she would have to give them to someone else.

"What are those longing eyes, firefly?" Vlad smirked. "Are you falling for that sword?"

"Yes, I am dad." The redhead admitted. "It is what happens each time you forge a sword for a royal knight?"

"For each sword you forge, you put a part of yourself in it. Anna you know that."

"Yes, but it is the first time that I feel like those sword are made for me. Is it because I forged them, because of my training as a knight? What will happen for the other swords I'll forge?" Anna started to worry, unsure of her future as a blacksmith.

"Don't worry about it firefly. It happens only because you don't know the future royal knight. It changes everything if you know for whom you are forging, because you'll fill the person's needs at this moment."

"O… Okay." 

"Believe me. After all I have years of experience behind me." He smiled. "Now off to the castle, or you'll be late for the ceremony."

"Aye!" Anna exclaimed. She quickly sheathed the broadsword and ran into the smithy to pick up the greatsword, which she strapped on her back before leaving the forges.

"See ya dad!" She shouted.

"Bye firefly." Vlad shouted as well. "… And fight well." He whispered.

-X-

"Hey Anna!"

"Jake!" Anna grinned as she entered the barracks and ran toward the soldier to greet him. 

Jake was one of the Royal Knight Lieutenants and three years her senior. When a part of the army had been sent to war, he was among those who stayed to protect the princess and the kingdom. They have won the war, but not without heavy causalities. Thus a big wave of recruitments had been undertaken to train new royal knights for the army. Jake and few other royal knights were now the last people Anna had known personally since the beginning of her training. He was a nice man, not the strongest one, but his experience made him a good strategist and teacher.

"The Knight Captain is waiting for you. Go!" He said, pointing to the middle of the training grounds. 

Anna didn't waste time and ran toward the Knight Captain. The later noticed her arrival and smiled. She readjusted her vest, feeling the garment falling from her right side. Damn missing arm. Olga Renmeyer groaned. She had been lucky to survive the war, but she was still not used to her new way of life.

"Knight Captain Olga." Anna said. She bowed.

"Glad you could make it Anna." Olga replied, bowing as well. "I can conclude you have the sword with you."

"Yeah I even have two. A broadsword and a greatsword."

The captain stared at the redhead, surprised. "You made two swords?" She smirked. "Interesting. We can proceed with the ceremony then." She made sign to other knights, who nodded and left. 

"May I ask for who is the ceremony?" Anna asked curious as she gave the swords to the knights who came to pick them up.

"You my dear." Olga only said, smiling widely. 

"What?" The strawberry blonde haired girl shouted. "No! No! You know I can't." Her father didn't want her to be a royal knight and she had decided to become a blacksmith. She had made her choice. Right? Then why did she feel excited by the news? Was it because she had expected that answer? She was not so easily tricked. When the knight captain had ordered her a sword for a ceremony without giving a name, she got suspicious. But she didn't entertain the thought as everyone knew she chose to become a blacksmith. She had been wrong at the end.

"I know dear." Olga continued. "However you have been with us for four years. You have more than completed your training. You deserve to have a ceremony like everyone else, even if you won't officially become a knight at the end. You won't have to recite the knights' oath.

"I…Thank you for that honor!" Anna bowed, excited.

"Go prepare yourself. We will begin in several minutes."

The redhead nodded and left.

When Anna came back, wearing her training outfit, the training grounds had been set up for the ceremony. The new recruits had cleaned the place by putting the gummy targets in a corner with the weapons and others objects. The training grounds were now a fighting zone, free from any kind of obstacles. Soldiers were patiently waiting, siting on benches near the wall. Olga was in the middle of the place, waiting for Anna. 

"Ready to begin?" The captain grinned. 

Anna nodded. 

Smiling, the older woman turned toward the small audience and started to talk to start the ceremony.

Meanwhile, Anna straightened her back and walked toward the center of the fighting grounds. Her walk was stiff. She was starting to feel the pressure of the whole event on her shoulder and her lack of sleep was not helping. 

"Are you ready Anna Thorstein?"

"I am."

"Then I will choose your opponent. Tian. Come here."

Everyone in the barracks gasped. Anna paled, frozen on her spot. _'How will I win against her?'_

The ceremony was pretty simple. She had to fight against a royal knight to display her skills and technics. At the end the knight captain decided if she passed the test or not. So it was not about winning the fight or not. But winning was a little plus for the Knight Captain to decide if the soldier was worth the title of Royal Knight. But how could she win against Tian. Right. Her opponent had to be a two-handed sword wielder as she was. But there were others knights who used fight with greatswords. Why Tian? She was destined to take Olga's place when she retired after Princess Elsa's coronation. It meant that Tian was strong with years of training behind her. 

Anna took a deep breath. Tian was slowly walking toward the center of the grounds, still in her bodyguard uniform and her sword secured on her back; the same sword she delivered to her, four years ago. She was smiling. It didn't reassure the redhead. _'She is smiling. That's not good. Tian never smiled during Royal Knight Ceremonies. Why is she smiling?'_

"Tian. Anna. You may begin."

Both soldiers bowed. 

With a trembling hand, Anna unsheathed her sword and put herself in a fighting stance unlike Tian who was immobile, observing her and smiling. 

_'I don't know what is she doing but she hasn't drawn her sword. Great. I just need to move fast and attack her.'_ Anna thought. 

Even if Anna and Tian both mastered the same technics, they used it differently. Because of her lithe body in comparison to Tian, Anna took advantage of her speed and agility, whereas the royal bodyguard played on her strength and dexterity. The redhead knew she couldn't win if she let Tian drawing her sword. So she didn't hesitate and rushed toward her. 

_'An opening one her left side! Perfect! I only need...'_

Anna stayed focus on her target, in a hurry to end that fight as fast as possible. She was so focused she didn't see Tian lifting her right fist. It was too late for Anna to notice it. She took the full blow in the face. Because of her speed, the impact was violent, forcing Anna to step backward. She wobbled, destabilized. She blinked several times, her vision blurred because of the pain. She still could hear people shouting around her, but no sound of steps. Tian still hadn't move. Anna didn't linger and quickly tried to come back to her senses. Suddenly, she felt a hot liquid under her nose. Blood. She wiped it out with her arm but regretted it immensely when she felt a huge pain. Broken nose? She winced and clenched her teeth. She was used to pain, but it was no less unpleasant. On the bright side, she was finally fully awake. 

"Always so eager to attack little fox." Tian smirked. "You could at least let me draw my sword."

Anna froze as she heard a sword being unsheathed. Her eyes widened when she stared at Tian who was now rushing toward her, ready to attack. The redhead had just enough time to raise her sword to defend herself. She held her breath. 

The blades met. 

Anna stepped back because of the impact. However Tian didn't stop and prepared herself for a second blow. Her movements were slowed. Anna could easily dodge them, get closer and attack. 

_'If only...'_

Tian was strong. If Anna hadn't held her sword with all her force, she would have been slayed. Such a move had its toll. The younger girl tried to steady her grip on the pommel of her sword. But her hands were trembling due to the impact of the earlier attack. When Anna was ready to fight again, Tian was already on her. She blocked the attack in extremist again.

For several minutes Tian continuously attacked Anna, letting her no room to counterattack. The shorter girl was doing her best to block every attack without exhausting herself. She was saving her force for the right time to strike. She eventually found it. An opening in Tian's right side. Anna waited. She held her sword firmly. It was her only chance of winning. In her actual state, exhausted because of lack of sleep and Tian's attacks, she wouldn't be able to keep fighting really soon. She needed to end the fight right now.

Eventually Anna saw the opening again and rushed toward Tian.

_'Now!'_

In a swift and quick motion, Anna swung her sword. It was a clear and precise move. A perfect one. 

_'Victory is mine.'_ The redhead thought, secretly smiling. There was no way Tian could block this attack. It was impossible. But when the younger girl expected the sound of metal against leather, she heard a sharp metallic sound. She froze, eyes widened. Blade didn't meet leather, but another blade. Tian had blocked her attack. 

"Impossible." Anna whispered in disbelief.

But before the younger girl could react, Tian quickly moved toward and hit her with her knee in her guts. The royal knight hit hard.

Anna gasped in pain. She soon felt light-headed and was starting to lose consciousness. _'No… Not now.'_ She winced. She couldn't lose. Or she could? After all, it was not a real ceremony. She was not going to become a royal knight at the end. She could lose. But did she want to? Slowly she put a hand on Tian's knee, which was still connected to her stomach, to move it. But the bodyguard didn't move and even tightened her grip. She brought her face closer to Anna's and whispered in her ear. 

"How many times did I tell you Anna? Never rush in the fight unless you are sure your opponent is not dragging you in a trap."

Anna's eyes widened. Tian tricked her. She created an opening in her stance on purpose. 

"You're disappointing me Anna. I don't feel your will to fight. You are not putting all your force in this fight. Is it because you consider this ceremony as a joke? Do you think fighting to protect the one you love is a joke as well? Are you ready to put the one you love in danger because of it?"

Anna froze. Tian's words were resonating in her head. _'Is it true? Do I consider the whole thing as a joke? Why did I decide to learn the sword arts?'_ The answer should be simple. She made that decision because she accepted Alex Renmeyer's proposition to train with the royal knights. But something had changed. It was not the only reason. There was something else, something she forgot because of her accident. Protect. Yes. She wanted to protect someone. Close. She wanted to be close to someone?

_"Anna! No no no!"_

'What?' Anna blinked. She suddenly thought of Princess Elsa. The princess was looking at her, worried, scared, but most of all injured. Anna could see it clearly. The princess' left arm was bleeding, clearly marked by wolves' bites. The redhead didn't know if the whole picture was a figment of her imagination or a memory. She was at the verge of unconsciousness. But she was sure of one thing.

_'Elsa. Blood. Elsa covered in blood. No! I will never let that happen!'_

Filled with a new found energy, the young knight reacted fast. Before Tian could move, Anna hit the bottom of her chin with the palm of her hand. Tian winced, teeth clashing hard. Immediately she stepped back, removing her knee from Anna. The latter didn't waste any time and punched the royal bodyguard in the solar plexus. Tian stumbled back, shaken and disoriented. However she quickly recovered and took a glance at her opponent. She grinned when she saw Anna in a fighting stance. Finally Tian could see determination and fire burning in the blacksmith's eyes. 

"Finally little fox. You got me scared for a second."

However Tian was cut short when she saw the young warrior rushing toward her. She immediately went in her fighting stance. Amber eyes intensely stared at Anna, reading her movements. The strawberry blonde girl was going for a frontal attack. It was a bold move. But it was not surprising coming from Anna. The redhead was known for her boldness. Tian smiled. Finally the Anna she knew so well was back.

Anna was coming closer. Fast. Tian swung her sword to halt her by forcing her to block the attack. However the bodyguard didn't expect the redhead to duck, take a tumble to be behind her. Tian didn't stop her attack though. On the contrary, she balanced her weight to make a full turn with her sword to attack the redhead.

Anna was ready this time. When Tian raised her sword to attack, she knew she had to keep moving and to not stop under any circumstances. She was exhausted. It was taking all her strength to hold the sword in her trembling hands. It was her last move. She had to succeed. When she saw the blade coming for her, she moved and found herself behind her opponent. Quickly she got up and swung her sword to strike. 

The spectators held their breath. Several soldiers gasped at the result, others stayed silent. Olga only smiled.

Teal eyes were staring at amber ones. Anna didn't move, feeling the bodyguard's blade on her right side. If Tian had moved her sword a little further, she would have been severely hit. However, Tian was in the same predicament with Anna's blade barely touching her neck. Both knights didn't move, keeping their gaze on each other. 

Only the sound of clapping hands in the public broke their stare. 

"I think the fight is over girls. You can lower your weapons." Olga laughed. 

They obeyed. Immediately Tian relaxed, feeling the aftermath of the fight already on her body. But it was nothing in comparison to Anna who was panting hard. She was utterly exhausted. Her nose was hurting like hell and she couldn't feel her hands any longer. But the worst was...

_'I failed.'_ Anna thought. Her performance was pitiable and she didn't win. She stared at the ground the whole time the knight captain spoke to close the ceremony.

"…Now it is time for the verdict…"

Anna tensed.

"… I will let Tian decide of the result."

Pairs of eyes turned toward the bodyguard, who was surprised as well and stared at her superior.

"Let's call it a test, future knight captain." Olga smirked.

Tian stayed silent. She eventually turned toward Anna and smiled. It didn't reassure the latter.

"I announce that Anna officially passed the trial."

The public burst in cheers, happy for their fellow friend's success. However, Anna was only staring at Tian in disbelief.

"What? How? You saw my performance. It was horrible."

"The beginning of the fight was horrible. True. You acted like an inexperienced warrior."

"Then why? I didn't even win."

"Anna. This ceremony is destined to prove you are worthy of the title of knight. Being a knight is not winning a fight or being the strongest. It is using your strength to protect people, to protect the royal family. And I saw it in your eyes little fox. I saw that will, that will to protect. I saw determination and strength."

Tian walked toward Anna, and put her hand on her shoulder. The younger girl still didn't believe her and looked into her eyes to find something to prove her point. She was expecting cold and emotionless eyes like every time Tian had assisted to a ceremony. Tian was a very private person and didn't show her emotion so easily, believing it was a sign of weakness. But no. Anna saw something else. She saw something that Tian only showed to people she trusted the most. Honesty and compassion. The redhead felt a warm feeling in her chest. Tian trusted her. Why? She still didn't know the reason. When she had started her training, Anna remembered the princess' bodyguard as a cold and ruthless knight. But as times passed, coldness disappeared to be replaced by warmth. Tian became her friends even after the accident. Anna didn't remember, but deep inside her, she knew that Tian should have hated her for what happened that day. But no. Tian didn't. She even felt sorry for her. Anna didn't understand. She didn't understand why Tian and Sophia, even the princess was so friendly with her. She was only the blacksmith's daughter. A commoner. There was something, a missing piece that Anna couldn't get the hold of it. There was something that could explain it all. Something unfortunately Anna forgot. 

"You may not become a royal knight after this ceremony Anna. But you have what it takes to be one as long you remember that feeling here."

Tian put her right hand on Anna's chest, just above her heart.

"You are a knight Anna. You don't need a title to prove that, because it is not a title that will save you in combat, it is your strength, your skill and your will to protect. Show it with pride."

Anna stayed silent and listened intently. A smile appeared on her face. She was happy. She never thought Tian's words would have such effect on her, but they did. She straightened up, her exhaustion miraculously fading. 

Suddenly, both warrior felt a presence beside them. They turned and saw Knight Captain Olga and Jake, the latter holding Anna's swords in his hands. Tian nodded to her superior and stepped aside. Anna, conscious of what was happening, faced the captain and took the greatsword in her hands and bowed. Olga bowed as well and talked. 

"Anna Thorstein. You have passed the ceremony. Those swords have been forged for you, symbols of your success. They are your strength, your pride. They are part of you. Use them with care and wisdom to protect the ones you love."

"I will." Anna solemnly answered. She strapped the greatsword on her back next to her father's sword. Suddenly it dawned on her that she wouldn't use his sword anymore. She froze. 

"Don't worry Anna." Olga said, perceiving Anna's inner struggle. "Vlad won't feel bad if you don't use his sword anymore. We asked his permission about this ceremony. He agreed to it."

"He did?" Anna stared in shock.

"Yes he agreed as long as you are not a royal knight at the end."

Anna only smiled, glad that her father approved of her choice even if not completely.

Shortly after the end of the ceremony, people resumed their activities. The recruits put back the equipment in the center of the battleground, and the soldiers continued their training. Their break was over, but not for everyone.

"I knew you could do it, Anna!" Jake exclaimed and gave the redhead a tap on the back.

"Thanks Jake." Anna answered her cheeks red. Shortly after Olga ended the ceremony, Jake and other royal knights rushed toward her to praise and congratulate her. 

"No really. You fought against Tian! Our future knight captain!"

"Yes but I didn't win. It was a draw."

"You fought well little fox. If it was a real match, I would have lost my head." Tian grinned. A new shade of red appeared on Anna's cheek. She didn't expect Tian to praise her for her performance as well. 

"I… I… Thanks." The strawberry blonde girl eventually said. 

Tian laughed. "Okay I need to go back to my post. See you all later guys."

"See you later!" Anna and the other royal knights shouted.

Tian left. Anna was going to leave as well, when suddenly she heard two recruits talking nearby.

"Pff Go back to her post? I'm sure she means pleasuring her whore of lover and the princess." One said.

"Well that explains why she is the next one to become knight captain. Jumping on the knight captain's niece and the princess, you only need to be good in bed and all the doors are opened to you." Another one laughed.

_'What?!'_ Anna's eyes widened.

"You know they are looking for another bodyguard to help Sophia Renmeyer and protect the princess. Do you realize? Staying close to two sexy women all the time? I'm sure they have a nice pair of ass. Gods! I'm sure I'll be the next royal bodyguard, I can't wait to f…"

That time, Anna saw red. She didn't need to be a genius to figure out his next words. She was mad. In no time, her hand was on her greatsword, ready to unsheathe it. But a hand stopped her. She turned to see Jake. His smile had disappeared too and he was glaring at the two recruits.

"Don't." He warned her.

"What?! Jake!" Anna shouted. 

All of sudden, she heard cries of pain and someone falling. She turned and saw one of the recruits on the ground, a hand on his bleeding nose. In front of him was a royal knight. Felix Tarild. Anna smiled. A friend.

"What the hell?" The recruit screamed. "Do you know who I am, peasant?"

"A brat who needs to know his place." Felix only said.

"I'm the Baron of Sture's son!"

"And my father is the Count of Talrid. If I remember well he knows your father well. I can't wait for him to know that his son was insulting the soon-to-be Queen of Arendelle and her bodyguards in public. Everyone knows he is not well seen by our majesty, her advisors and ministers. You attitude is the icing on the cake to remove his title." Felix spat.

The young man didn't answer, but he was no less furious and scared at the same time. 

"Now recruits! For your insolence, I want you and your friend to run around the barracks! Now!"

Groaning, the noble got up. "How many laps?"

"Until you throw up your guts. Now run and don't your dare to stop, I'm behind you."

The recruits whined in protest but did as they were told and ran. Felix ran behind them, shouting at them to run faster. The other royal knights next to Anna laughed and followed their comrade. The other recruits and soldiers were observing the scene and were also laughing as well. Anna sighed in relief, happy to see those idiots receiving the punishment they deserved. Jake followed the group too, but not without saying goodbye to Anna.

"Jake, wait!" She stopped him.

"Yes?"

"Thank you… For stopping me." 

He smiled. "No problem Anna. Now time to see those brats throwing up their guts!" He exclaimed.

Anna giggled. But her smile faltered shortly after. After all those years by their side, she had forgotten that her friends were from a different world. They belonged to the nobility: duke, count, baron… Being a knight was not an end, it was a start for them. It was the title they needed to succeed their parents. If she had drawn her sword to give the recruit a lesson, the consequences would have been disastrous, as she was only a commoner and them nobles. She owned Jake and Felix a great deal. 

"I'm sorry for the scene you just saw Anna."

"If Jake hasn't stopped me, I would have killed them."

"As Knight Captain of Arendelle, I would have been forced to arrest you for killing nobles…"

"I know."

"But as Sophia's aunt and Princess Elsa's first bodyguard, I would have insisted that I give the final blow."

Anna genuinely laughed, still amazed by Olga's honesty. 

"Still, I am sorry Anna. With the war, we needed to recruit new people and unfortunately nobles took advantage of it to throw their first born in our arms. If it was me I would have rejected half of them. But it is not so simple." The captain sighed.

"Why?"

"The ministers insisted that we take everyone in our rank to ensure the 'protection of Arendelle'" Olga groaned.

"The nobles bribed them, didn't they?"

The captain nodded silently.

"Why Princess Elsa did nothing about it?" Anna wondered.

"The princess was not old enough to rule at that time. Until she reaches her majority in two days, the ministers are the official rulers of Arendelle. So for the moment, we need to endure those little spoiled brats. When Princess Elsa is queen, I will talk about this problem with her. Fortunately we never promised all soldiers will become a Royal knight! We just agreed on recruiting them." The older woman smirked.

"So who will you choose to be the princess' bodyguard with Sophia?" The redhead inquired, curious.

"It's a secret. But obviously, the person won't be one of those spoiled nobles you just saw."

Anna nodded. Her thoughts came back to the earlier events. She was trying to understand.

"How does Tian endure all of this?"

"What do you mean?" Olga inquired.

"People talk. I hear them. They don't approve of her role as future knight captain. They don't even approve the fact she is a royal knight, because she is not from Arendelle.

"They are just idiots. They don't know what Elsa, Sophia and Tian went through in the past." 

"What happened?"

Olga stared at her surprised, before it dawned on her. "Right. You forgot because of your accident. Well… It is not my place to tell you. You need to talk with Tian or Sophia for that."

"I see…" 

"Don't think about it for the moment. Go home and have some rest. You need it." Olga suggested, trying to change the topic.

Anna nodded and left, even if the Knight Captain had awoken her curiosity about the princess and her bodyguards.

-X-

Anna didn't go home when she left the barracks. She felt relentless, Olga's words lingering in her head. So she decided to go to her favorite spot outside of the city to rest. However, she didn't expect hearing voices when she approached the place.

"Sophia! Stop! Touch me gently please!" Tian whined.

"Come on Tian! Don't tell me that little punch hurt you so bad." Sophia laughed.

"You didn't receive Anna's punch! That's why you say that."

"I think it is a fair punishment Tian for what you have done to her. Don't you think Sophia?" 

Anna gaped as she recognized that sultry voice. Princess Elsa was seating in the middle of the clearing, admiring the view. She was wearing the same outfit she wore three years ago, with this time a long blue scarf around her neck. Her hair was tied the same loose braid on her left shoulder. She felt at peace. She was laughing with Sophia, who was tending Tian's injury near a tree not so far away from her. They were all smiling, enjoying the late afternoon. 

Anna felt a pang of jealousy in her chest. Even if she had met the princess, spoke with her before and knew Tian and Sophia, they never smiled like that with her. The three of them were nice with her. They welcomed her in their group with wide arms. But Anna knew something was missing. She could see the sadness in their eyes when they looked at her. Anna felt accepted but at the same time not. It hurt. Anna was jealous of their connection. How she wanted to ask Tian or Sophia about their story with the Princess. She wanted to know. To understand. But no. It was not her place. She was an outsider; she had no right to ask them personal questions that concerned only them. 

_'Better I leave them alone.'_ Anna thought. 

"Anna?" Icy blue eyes lightened up.

Anno froze. Too late, the princess saw her.

"Princess! Hi!" Anna stuttered.

"Elsa. Please. Call me Elsa." A smile.

"Yes, P… Elsa. I… I should leave you alone with Tian and Sophia. I didn't want to disturb you…"

"Stay please! I'm sorry. I wanted to take a breath of fresh air and come here. I should have asked you first if I could come. It is your special spot after all." Elsa scratched her neck.

"No. I told you it was yours too. You can come any time you want." Anna quickly answered.

"Then come here." The princess smiled and patted the spot next to her. Anna felt warmth in her cheek. She hesitated a moment but eventually moved and sat next to the older woman. 

"I would like to say congratulations for this afternoon, Anna." Elsa smiled.

"You were there?" Anna asked. A new shade of red appeared on her face.

"Yes, I was at the windows just above the barracks. You fought well." Elsa smiled. She wouldn't have missed that for anything in the world. When Tian left, Elsa didn't hesitate and left her bedroom to rush toward the window that showed the barracks. She smiled when she saw Anna in the middle of the training grounds. She gasped when she got hit by Tian (she swore to punish Tian later). She screamed when Tian gave her verdict. Sophia was by her side the whole time smiling. She was happy to see the princess full of joy once again. 

"Ah… Thanks Elsa." Anna stammered. _'She is praising me. The princess is praising me. Calm yourself Anna and think of something else.'_ The redhead turned around. "I'm sorry for your injury Tian." 

"Don't worry about Tian." Elsa smirked. "She got what she deserved for hurting you."

"What? You mean my nose? Don't worry it's nothing, I don't even feel pain anymore." Anna smiled and touched her nose to prove it. But instead of feeling nothing, she felt a sharp pain and was not able to shout in pain. She winced. "Well maybe I was wrong about the pain part."

"Anna." Elsa said concerned. She glared at Tian, who looked away. The princess sighed. After all these years, she should be used to see Anna injured. Being a knight or warrior was a dangerous job. But after that accident four years ago, it was not so simple anymore. Seeing her ex-lover in pain, Elsa removed her gloves. She then genuinely put her fingers on Anna's nose to mass it gingerly. She discretely used her ice power to smooth the pain.

At first, Anna felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Elsa's face was close. Really close. Then when she felt fingers touching her bruised nose, Anna froze. She stared at Elsa, eyes wide opened. However she gladly accepted the cool sensation that come with the touches.

"Cold." Anna whispered.

"My little secret to ease your pain." Elsa only answered.

Both women stayed like this for a moment. Tian and Sophia was behind them, observing them in silence. They didn't expect Elsa to use her power. But time passed, they started to relax. Elsa had everything under control.

Eventually Elsa removed her hands and put her gloves back.

"Thank you, Elsa." Anna said.

"You're welcome, Anna."

"Can I ask you a question?"

The older woman nodded.

"Why are you here?"

"Everything was hectic in the castle." Elsa answered. "I wanted to have a moment of peace and decided to come here."

"Oh yes for the coronation."

"In two days yes."

"Are you excited?" 

"Honestly. No I'm not." Elsa looked away.

"Because of new responsibilities, new duties and such?" 

_'Because it means I will be forced to give you up to let you live your own life… without me.'_ "Yes." The princess lied.

"I told you, we are here to help you. You'll be a wonderful Queen. I'm sure of it." Anna smiled, trying to cheer Elsa up.

"Thanks Anna." 

Both women went silent again, enjoying the calm and the view. It was a wonderful days. Winter was finally over. Spring was here to give some joyful colors to the fjords. Anna smiled, amazed by the view like always. She was starting to forget everything, the ceremony, the nobles, Tian and Sophia. Being next to Elsa was all that mattered right now. She didn't know why, but her presence relaxed her. Anna was so relaxed that she was progressively falling asleep. She was still exhausted because of her lack of sleep and fight with Tian.

Elsa didn't expect to feel a weight on her left shoulder, and was more than surprise to see it was Anna's head. When she realized that the redhead had fallen asleep, she smiled, endeared by the view. Carefully she laid the young knight on the grass and looked at her. Anna had changed, she noticed. Gone was the childish features, Anna was now a strong and gorgeous woman. However, Elsa was still able to see clearly the freckles on Anna's cheeks, on her neck and down on her bre… 

Okay maybe she should stop right now. 

Elsa looked away, blushing. No. It was not the time to think of things like that. _'Ho god, Elsa control yourself.'_ Suddenly she heard a light snore. Elsa automatically looked back at Anna. She chuckled. The redhead was drooling. Yes some things didn't change. For a moment, she stayed still, looking at the young knight while her hand was lightly brushing her hair. She was memorizing all the details of her face one last time. How Elsa wanted to kiss her ex-lover one last time too, to feel her lips on her own. But no she couldn't. The white strand in Anna's hair was here to remind her of that. Anna was not hers anymore.

"I love you so much Anna." The blonde whispered. "Each day I thought of you. But time has come for me to let you go, to let you live your own life. In two days, I will be queen. In two days I will have to fulfill my responsibilities as a queen…my love."

It took all Elsa's will to not cry, not wake Anna up to tell her everything, to tell her the truth. No she couldn't. Eventually Elsa got up.

"I think it is time to go back to the castle." Elsa suggested. "Tian, stay here to look after Anna. Sophia is coming with me."

Both bodyguards nodded.

"Am I waiting for her to wake up?" Tian asked for confirmation.

"Yes, be sure she doesn't catch a cold."

"And if she wake up only tomorrow?"

"Then I'll see you tomorrow. Let's call it the punishment you deserve for hurting her." Elsa grinned.

Tian sighed, a smile on her face. "Alright then."

When Elsa and Sophia were gone, Tian sat next to Anna, silent. The redhead was still sleeping deeply.

"You don't know how much Elsa needs you Anna." Tian whispered.

No answer.

"She needs you as you need her. Be patient. Soon you'll be with her, I swear."


	4. Panic Station (by Muse)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Sorry for this late update! Managing stories with drawings and personal life is not easy, especially since that chapter had been difficult to draw... Anyway here a new chapter for people who are still following that fic :))
> 
> You can follow me on Tumblr (Tri-chan) or Deviantart (Tripower)
> 
> Disclaimer: Frozen doesn't belong to me, only the OCs do.

**Chapter 03 - Panic Station (by Muse)**

_"Anna. What is it?"_

_"A present for you!" A grin. "If you ever happen to have a bad day and I'm not here for you, that present will help you thinking of me and cheering you up."_

_"Thank you, Anna. But you know I prefer to have you in person."_

_"I know but you don't know what could happen in the future. I may not be here for you."_

_"It's not funny, Anna."_

_A laugh "You know I'll be always here for you, Elsa."_

_"Anna…"_

"Princess Elsa?"

Icy blue eyes opened, startled by the voice on the other side of the door. 

"Yes, Gerda?" Elsa eventually said. 

"The ceremony will start soon. People are gathering in front of the gates."

"Thank you, Gerda. Tell the guards to open up the gates. I will be there in a moment"

"As you wish, Princess."

Elsa waited for Gerda to leave. When she heard the sound of her steps fading away in the corridor, she looked back at the object in her hands. It was the same object given by Anna, years ago. She gingerly caressed the surface with her fingers, feeling the old porous surface under them. The same old porous surface she had felt for four years. Elsa tightened her grip around the object and closed her eyes. She silently prayed, asking Anna for strength and courage. It had become a ritual for her to bring the small object wherever she goes. Today was no exception. She needed Anna's present more than ever. Today was her coronation day. Oh god! She was not ready to be queen. 

She heard a knock on her door once again. But this time, the door immediately opened. Tian and Sophia entered the bedroom, formally dressed for the day.

"Are you alright, little snow fox?" Tian asked.

Elsa sighed, not looking at her bodyguards. "No, I'm not. I'm not ready for today." She tightened her grip on the small object in her hands. Oh no, she was not ready. 

The room was silent. No one dared to speak until the princess felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned and saw Sophia.

"Don't worry, Elsa. Everything will be fine." She smiled.

Elsa relaxed. Sophia always had that effect on her, making her believe that everything would be fine, even when it was not. Without her, Elsa would have frozen the kingdom more than once the last three years.

"We are here for you. We are in this adventure together!" 

Elsa laughed. 

"And to tell you the truth, little snow fox..." Tian who was next to the princess added. "… I'm not ready as well to become Knight Captain."

"I find it hard to believe." Elsa raised an eyebrow.

"What I find hard to believe is Olga choosing me for the post. Sophia is stronger than me and she is Olga's niece. You should have taken my place, love." The bodyguard looked at her lover, who only laughed.

"You know very well you are more suited for the job, honey. And I'm not as strong as you think."

"Let me remind you… twenty fights… I won only once."

"And that's the reason why I was chosen to protect Elsa." Sophia grinned.

"Hmmm… you got a point."

"You know I'm always right."

"But it won't change that I'm not from Arendelle." Tian eventually added, serious. 

The joyful atmosphere suddenly disappeared and was replaced by a heavy silence. 

"I heard people talking about me." She continued. "They don't approve of my future status. Knight Captain. The most conservative people don't accept a stranger at the lead of the whole army of Arendelle. It's not like I can fool people with the color of my skin." She laughed, ironically amused by the situation. When she was younger, the only thing she had hoped for was to survive the next winter, not to be at the lead of an army. She didn't ask for that, especially when the majority of the nobles and some soldiers despised her not for her skills but for her origins. 

Elsa knew how it would be difficult for her bodyguard, because it would be hard for her as well. Being Queen of Arendelle means her ministers wouldn't rule anymore. She was sure to end the briberies between the nobility and the ministers, which had started since her parents' death. Of course both parties would be against it and tried everything to pressure her to give in to their whims. The fact Tian, a soldier not from a noble family and also incorruptible, would be the future Knight Captain was not helping them either. The worst case scenario would be that Sophia would have to be more vigilant when it concerned protecting her queen. But Elsa was sure of one thing: Sophia was right.

Silently, the future queen took both Tian's and Sophia's hand in hers.

"It will be hard, but we will be victorious, together." She said, full of hope. Both bodyguards smiled as well.

"Okay, enough talk, dear." Sophia laughed. "The ceremony will start soon."

Elsa nodded. Yes the ceremony was forthcoming. She looked at Anna's present one last time before stuffing it in her pocket. She had never been separated from this object since she got it, she wouldn't start it now. The room went silent, Elsa putting her cape on her shoulder, with Sophia's help. That piece of clothes was incredibly huge. 

"Tian?" Elsa asked, still adjusting the cape on her shoulder.

"Yes, little snow fox?" Tian answered, patiently waiting in the corner of the room.

"I was wondering. Your ceremony will shortly be held after mine. I would like to know who did you choose to replace you?"

A silence.

"Tian?"

"Anna Thorstein."

The temperature in the room dropped significantly. Elsa froze. Literally. Ice was already covering her hands when she turned to look at the tanned woman in disbelief. Sophia didn't waste time and was by Elsa's side to calm her.

"Elsa. Dear. Calm yourself."

But Elsa couldn't be calm, especially not after what Tian had said.

"Are you crazy?" She cried.

Tian didn’t budge. She knew that day would come and how bad Elsa would react. She was prepared for this.

"I observed the potential soldiers. Anna is the only one up to the job. Olga agreed with me." She said calmly.

"Anna is not a royal knight." The soon-to-be queen pointed out.

"She will be when I become Knight Captain." 

"There is a reason why I didn't want Anna to become a royal knight. Vlad agreed to this, Alex, Olga, Sophia even YOU agreed to this!" 

The room was getting colder as the minutes passed and spikes of ice were appearing all around the princess, all dangerously pointing toward Tian. Sophia could do nothing, but step away from the duo. Even her couldn’t smooth the situation, especially when the topic of the argument was Anna. 

"And you know very well I never approved of your decisions." Tian groaned, not looking at the princess anymore.

"Anna will never be my bodyguard. Find someone else! Like… Jake!"

"A nice experienced royal knight, but not strong enough to protect you."

"Sophia is here to protect me too!"

The shards of ice were growing bigger and getting closer to Tian. But the latter didn't move. 

"Yes and this why I want a reliable knight. Someone I can trust. Someone strong enough to watch Sophia's back to protect you!" The bodyguard looked at her protégée this time. She was furious. But Sophia, who was looking at her partner, could see the desperation behind her eyes. Yes. Tian was desperate. She wanted Elsa to understand her choice and to accept it.

"You, Sophia, Anna…You are all the most precious people in my life. I don't want to lose any of you. I know it will be hard for you little snow fox. It will be hard for Sophia and I as well, to see our best friend acting like we are strangers. But Anna is strong, good hearted and I trust her. With her I am sure Sophia and you will be safe without me. She is the one I chose!"

Elsa understood her friend's intentions. She really did. But she couldn't let Anna be closer to her than she was already. It was not hard. It was impossible. She needed to protect Anna from her and to do so she needed to be inflexible and not let her lover close to her never again.

Both women glared at each other, immobile. The atmosphere was still tensed even if the spikes of ice stopped growing. Fortunately, the tension broke when they all heard someone knocking on the door. 

"Princess." It was Gerda. "Everything is ready we are waiting for you."

Elsa took a deep breath. She closed her eyes and focused. Slowly the ice in the room started to shrink to completely disappear. It was getting warmer in the room. When Elsa opened her eyes, Tian was still standing before her, looking at her. She sighed.

"Choose someone else, Tian. Please." Elsa said before leaving the room, alone.

When the door closed, Tian sighed as well. She felt tired already and it was only the beginning of the day. Suddenly she felt fingers interlacing hers. She turned.

"You could have been more subtle, love." Sophia said with her smooth voice to relax her partner.

"I don't understand, Sophia. Elsa loves Anna. She still loves her, it is so obvious. And Anna loves her, I am sure of it. Deep inside, the Anna we all know is there. So why Elsa is so against Anna being her bodyguard? They could fall in love again, Anna could remember everything."

"You know it is not so simple Tian. It is because Elsa loves so much Anna she did all of this to protect her. She sacrificed her love for her safety. And you know that the problem is more complicated than that. It is not so simple."

"It is not right."

"Don't think you are the only one who wants those two together. I too want to see our little Elsa happy with Anna. But forcing them to be together won't help love. You need to be more subtle."

"You know being subtle is not my strong point."

"But it is mine, love." Sophia smirked.

"You little devil. You are worse than me." Tian laughed. 

"That's why you love me."

"Yes, it is one of the reasons. Another reason is how aggressive in bed you are..."

Tian was shut by Sophia with a finger on her lips.

"It is not the time for that, love. I will show you tonight again. If you love me so much." A wink. "For now you need to go to the chapel with Elsa for the ceremony."

"Where are you going?" The tanned solider asked, surprised.

"I need to do something before joining you. Being subtle, you know."

Tian smirked. "Little devil."

-X-

"Come on Anna, we will be late." A young man shouted outside of the forge. He laughed when he heard Anna shouting back from her bedroom. He sighed.

"Same old Anna." He sighed then turned to his left to speak with his reindeer. "Don't you agree Sven?" But the animal gave no answer and just sniffed his master looking for something.

"Hey hey buddy! Calm down." The young man pushed back the snout from his clothes. He soon after took something from his pocket. "Are you looking for this?"

A carrot.

Sven nodded happily and didn't waste time to take a bite of the carrot, when the vegetable was only inches from his mouth. His master laughed before taking a bit as well.

"Oh my god! Kristoff! Stop that! It's disgusting!" Anna shouted at her friend, as she was walking toward them. "Sometimes I wonder how I became friend with you."

"Because I am the best ice harvester of the kingdom that's why." The blonde answered, giving the last part of the carrot to Sven. 

Anna sighed, but smiled as well. The redhead had met Kristoff last year in summer. The days had been particularly hot for the season. Working in the forges had been unbearable, and it had been no better outside. Anna had proposed to look for ice in the mountains to cool the room. Eventually the redhead had found herself at Oaken's Trading Post (and Sauna) to buy the equipment for climbing the North Mountain. She had bumped into Kristoff when she had been leaving the premises. The young man had come to the trading post for a new pickaxe and rope (and carrots?). However, Anna had happened to buy the last ones. A little argument had followed shortly after with Kristoff wanting to buy the equipment from Anna and the latter refusing the offer. The argument had continued until Anna discovered that Kristoff was an ice harvester. A huge grin had appeared on her face. Eventually both of them had ended with an agreement. Anna had given the pickaxe and rope to Kristoff in exchange of ice. Since then, the Thorstein family had helped Kristoff Bjorgman. The latter had provided them ice as compensation. Anna and Kristoff became close friends. They were so close the young man didn't hesitate to hook his friend with a girl. Anna asked him to stop, since she was not interested and tried to do the same for him, but she eventually found out that his only partner would be his best friend reindeer Sven.

"Okay, time to go to the royal castle. I can't believe the doors are opened for the first time in forever." Kristoff exclaimed, excited.

"They are for you. Not me." Anna smirked.

"Ah shut up, Anna. Unlike you I am not a knight in training or the blacksmith´s daughter who can enter whenever she wants." The young man groaned, showing his tongue to his friend.

The redhead only laughed.

"Instead of being a brat today, feisty pants, move your ass and let's move. Princess Elsa's coronation is not every day." Kristoff pouted.

_'Ah yes it is coronation day today.'_ Anna thought walking beside Kristoff with Sven between both of them. Today Princess Elsa will be officially Queen of Arendelle. The entire kingdom was festive. The streets were crowded with people. The merchants were selling their best products. Other people were playing with the children. Anna could see the white sailings of the ships near the harbor. Dignitaries of neighbor kingdoms had been invited for the occasion as well. Unconsciously, Anna put her hand on the pommel of Der Koenig, her broadsword, at the idea of strangers being near the future queen. The redhead knew the danger was surely kept to a minimum with the presence of royal guards and royal knights all over the place, but she couldn't fathom being without at least one of her swords. She had let Der Kaiser, her greatsword at home, to be discrete.

Eventually the group arrived at the gates of the castle. Kristoff and Sven looked in awe at the construction, amazed by its beauty. Anna only grinned at her friend while she was saying good morning to the guards and knight on their way. The inner court of the castle was full of people who were chatting and admiring the place with excitement. 

"Oh my god. This is so beautiful." Kristoff exclaimed.

"Indeed. The castle is not the same with all those people here." Anna confirmed.

"Anna! Kristoff!"

Both people turned around toward the voice and were surprised to see Sophia walking toward them.

"Sophia? Why are you here? You should be with Tian and the princess in the chapel!" The redhead noticed.

"Yes I should. But I was looking for you in fact." The bodyguard smirked.

"Me?"

" Yes. You see we are short handed on guards and knights for the dinner of tonight. I was wondering if you could help us with that."

"Well..." Anna hesitated. "I don't know. I am not even a knight..."

"Come on!" Sophia laughed. "You even brought one of you swords with you today, surely to protect Elsa." 

Anna immediately went red. "No no! I just brought Der Keoning just in case something happen to the princess… I mean the queen… Wait she is not queen yet, soon… I mean to protect Elsa… Oh god."  
Anna closed her mouth. Her ears were totally read now. In shame, she hid her face in her hands. Kristoff laughed heartedly, while Sven lightly pushed Anna with his snout.

Sophia laughed as well, endeared by Anna's reactions. Some things never changed in four years. "Come on, Anna. Please." The bodyguard played her last card.

Anna nodded silently, her face still in her hands.

"You can help us too, Kristoff, though Sven will have to stay at the stables. We will give him an extra portion of carrots." Sophia added.

"Of course we are coming!" The blonde shouted with Sven dancing happily next to him. Without hesitation both the man and his reindeer followed the bodyguard, dragging the strawberry blonde haired girl with them. 

-X-

The ballroom was crowded. Elsa didn't like that. She had never been fond of crowded place. It made her uneasy. But unfortunately she had to get used to it. She was now Queen of Arendelle. She had duties to fulfill. One of them was to attend these kinds of balls. She had been staying behind the curtains near the throne for several minute already, waiting for Kai to introduce her.

Suddenly, Elsa felt a hand on her shoulder.

"Not too stressed, little snow fox?"

Elsa turned around and saw Tian, worried. She immediately relaxed at the sight of her best friend. Tian had been there during the whole ceremony in the chapel and she was still with her here. 

"Not anymore, Tian." The queen smiled. 

"Then allow me to take my place near the throne to wait for you." The bodyguard bowed before entering the ballroom.

"Tian. Wait." The tanned knight stopped in her track.

"Yes, your majesty?"

"I'm sorry for this morning. I was stressed, I reacted harshly."

"No, it was my fault for announcing you the news like that."

"Could we please talk about that later, when everything will be calmer?"

"Whenever you want… Elsa." Tian smiled.

Elsa reciprocated the gesture. Her bodyguard bowed a second time and resumed walking toward the throne. Tian stopped next to it, steadfast. Shortly Sophia arrived and took place next to her partner, not before whispering something in her ear. Tian only grinned and furtively kissed her on the lips. 

Eventually Kai arrived and asked his queen if she was ready. Elsa just nodded. Without wasting more time, Kai went in the room and spoke.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Queen Elsa of Arendelle!"

People clapped their hands, welcoming the queen, who was walking toward the throne. Immediately the crowd bowed toward the sovereign, who bowed as well. After several minutes, people had started to chat again and even dance in the middle of the room, since the ball officially started. However Elsa didn't have time to enjoy the festivities when guests of other countries came to her for proper introductions and greetings. Elsa was polite and talked with grace and elegance. She thanked people for their congratulations and wisely avoided the topic of suitors for the moment. 

When the last dignitaries finished to talk and went back into the crowd, Elsa sighed, already tired by all those talks. Being queen was not an easy job. 

"Elsa!"

The blond woman looked up, recognizing this voice. She grinned when she saw a young woman with chestnut hair coming toward her and a young man, trailing behind her.

"Rapunzel!"

The brunette didn't waste time and hugged the queen, all formalities forgotten. Elsa only laughed and hugged her back, glad to see her cousin.

Yes, Crown Princess Rapunzel of Corona was her cousin. Elsa was surprised herself when she received a letter from her uncle and aunt two years ago. According to the letter, Rapunzel had been kidnapped shortly after her birth, but eventually came back, thanks to a former thief called Flynn?? Or Eugene. She didn't remember. What Elsa remembered was the passage about Rapunzel's healing magic hair. The queen felt at this moment a connection with her cousin, having magical powers herself. When her uncles and cousin came to visit two months later, Elsa couldn't hold her tears, not having seen her uncle and aunt for years. The reunion ended up in a group hug and Elsa finally meeting Rapunzel. 

"Where are uncle and auntie?" Elsa realized their absence.

"They couldn't come, so they sent me with Eugene." Rapunzel replied, grabbing her fiancé by his arm.

"Eugene." Elsa smiled.

"Your majesty." The former thief replied.

"I can't believe your are Queen now!" The princess of Corona squealed. "How do you feel?"

"Not so different from usual. Everything will change tomorrow surely with all the signing documents and meetings."

"I see. I'm still learning how to be a princess. Being kept in a tower my whole life didn't help. All those lessons are so hard and boring."

"I am sure you'll see the end of the tunnel."

"I hope so!"

Suddenly both girls were interrupted by Kai who was walking toward them, a short old man behind him.

"Your majesty." Kai started. "Duke of Weasel town...."

"Weselton!" The old man shouted. "Duke of Weselton!"

"Your Majesty." He said calmer. "As your closest partner in trade, it seems only fitting that I offer you your first dance as Queen." Suddenly the duke did several weird gestures with his hands, startling the queen and her cousin, before bowing and tending his hand. However by bowing so low, his wig fell and swung on the top of his head, unnoticed by his owner. It took all Elsa's and Rapunzel's willpower to not laugh. 

"I am sure Queen Elsa would be honored to dance with you." Rapunzel smirked.

"W…What?" Elsa stammered.

In no time, the queen was pushed by her cousin and found herself in the middle of the ballroom with the Duke. Elsa furtively glared at Rapunzel, who only smiled apologetically.

_'Oh you!'_

-X-

The ballroom was crowded. Anna didn't like that. There were too many possibilities of an attack, even with dozens of guards and knights ready to act if there was any danger. Anna's never left the pommel of her sword, secured on the belt of her uniform. Yes a royal knight uniform. When Sophia dragged her and Kristoff into the castle, they were received by maids who immediately too care of them to be presentable for the ball. Indeed the clothes of an ice harvester or a blacksmith were not suited for such an event. In no time, Anna was wearing the uniform of the royal knights. It was a simple garment, really similar to the royal guards' except for the color. It was a deep ice blue with silver hems. Her hair was tight in an elaborated bun. Anna felt uneasy. It was the first time she was wearing so formal clothes. It was uncomfortable.

 _'How Sophia and Tian can tolerate such clothes?!'_ Anna groaned to herself.

"Sorry. Excuse me."

The redhead turned around, wondering who can be walking toward her. She was positioned far away from the center of the room, so she could be discrete and not disturb the guests. However, when she took a glance to the person, she only saw a violet and black mass falling. Immediately, Anna opened her arms to catch the woman. 

"Are you alright ma...dame..." The knight trailed off as she noticed the crown on top of the woman's head. Anna froze. When the woman slowly got on her feet, she could see her face and her assumptions were confirmed. She could recognize those deep icy blue eyes everywhere. Immediately Anna put one of her knees on the ground, her eyes down on the ground.

"Your majesty." She spoke solemnly. 

"Oh no, please get up." Elsa said, uneasy. "You don't need to do that really… Anna?!" She gasped. "What are you doing here?"

The knight looked up, alerted by the queen's tone. She immediately got up.

"I was asked by Sophia to help the others with the security of the ball room."

"Sophia?"

Oh now she got it. Elsa glared at her bodyguard who was on other side of the room. The said woman noticed the interaction between Elsa and Anna and discreetly looked away when she met angry blue eyes. Tian only laughed, putting her arm around her lover's waist, whispering teasing words in her ear. She knew Tian was doing everything to make her go back to her ex-lover. But she never expected Sophia to do the same.

Elsa was so preoccupied with Sophia; she didn't notice how pale Anna's face became. The redhead was devastated, thinking Elsa was disapproving her presence here. After all she was a commoner, the intruder in this room full of nobles and royals. Even the knights belonged to the nobility, and surely the guards had a better status than her.

_'I am stupid. You should have known it was not your place here, Anna.'_ The strawberry-blonde girl berated herself. Silently, she walked back, ready to leave the room and go back home for the night. But she was stopped by a hand gripping her own. She turned.

"Where are you going, Anna?" Elsa asked. Her eyes widened when she noticed her friend's dreadful expression. "Is something wrong?" Her grip tightened.

"Nothing, your highness. Clearly I shouldn't have been here, I am just going home" The redhead forced a smile.

"What? Why shouldn't you be here?"

"It is not my place. I'm only a peasant here. You are disapproving my presence here and wanted to talk to Sophia about it. But please, don't be harsh with her, I agreed to this. It is my fault and I won't bother you."

It dawned on Elsa now, realizing how Anna misinterpreted her glare. She quickly spoke. "No! Anna you misunderstood. I was angry at Sophia not because I didn't want you, but because she didn't warn me. Surely you have something better than to protect the guests here. I would never disapprove your presence Anna. You are my friend."

Anna sighed in relief, but her wary expression didn't leave her face. "It is the greatest honor to protect you, my queen. I would give my life for yours. But it is not my place, your majesty. You are now Queen of Arendelle and I am only a blacksmith's daughter. I am not important." She took a look at herself. She had been so proud to wear that uniform sooner in the evening, now she only felt shame for wearing something so important. She was unworthy of these clothes. She tried to believe in Tian's words, to believe she was a knight. But Tian was wrong she was not a knight. She didn't belong here. 

_'You are so wrong, Anna.'_ The queen thought. _'You are my world Anna. A world without you is not worth living in.'_

"Don't say that, Anna." Elsa spoke aloud. "I may be queen, but it doesn't change the fact that you are my friend."

Anna looked at her, a glimmer of hope in her eyes. It made Elsa smile. The tension left Anna's shoulders as she relaxed, convinced by the queen's words. Her friend. In her wildest dream, Anna never thought of the queen of Arendelle being her friend. Or she did?

"Why are you here, your highness…" Anna started.

"Please, how many times do I have to say to you? Call me 'Elsa'. I insist. Queen's order!" The said queen grinned.

Anna laughed. "Why are you here, Elsa? Shouldn't you be with the guests dancing?"

"I was trying to avoid the Duke of Weselton. He insists in dancing with me again. Once was already enough for me. I wonder how he can move with heels."

Anna laughed harder. She suddenly heard music in the background. She had an idea. She looked at Elsa and bowed.

"In that case, will you do the honor to dance with me, my queen."

Elsa, who stopped talking, looked at her in disbelief. She genuinely blushed, touched by the knight gesture. Deep inside her, she knew she should refuse. It was Anna. But gods, she was starting to get tired of her decision. With a smile, she took Anna's hand in her.

"It would be my pleasure."

The redhead smiled, delighted. With care, she guided the queen in the center of the dance scene. Elsa gave her cape to Kai then turned toward Anna. Carefully, Anna put her hand on her waist. The blonde blushed at the touch, missing this kind of affection after years of separation. Red tainted Anna's cheeks as well, finally realizing she was going to dance with the queen of Arendelle. Eventually, the pair started dancing, it was a simple waltz, nothing too complicated. The others dancers, aware of queen's presence, moved away. The spectators stopped their conversation to observe the couple dancing. The knight felt their gazes on her back. She tensed. Elsa noticed the sudden change in her behavior.

"Is everything alright, Anna?"

"People are watching us."

"Then?" The royal smiled.

"It must be strange, I am shorter than you and still I am the one leading…"

"I don't mind that you lead, Anna."

"… and I am so tensed, I wonder how I have not fallen yet... I am so clumsy sometimes, I could even trip over a pebble." Anna left a small laugh.

"Yes indeed." Elsa whispered, memories flooding her mind.

_"Oh no, Elsa. I am sorry!" Anna stammered, stepping back from Elsa. The latter was wincing in pain, massaging her foot. Realizing she should do something, Anna urged toward her girlfriend. However she only took two steps before falling on the ground. She groaned in frustration. 'Damn feet.' Suddenly, she heard noises around her. The strawberry blonde girl looked up and saw the princess laughing. She smiled and got up._

_"Would you stop laughing at me, Kjaerste?" The redhead pouted._

_"Sorry, my feisty red lion. I couldn't resist."_

_Anna puffed. "I still don't understand why you want me as dance partner. You know how clumsy I am."_

_"Because I need someone to dance with to practice. So it is a good occasion to learn. So I can dance with you during the ball, refuse other people's invitation.... And..." The blonde come closer and put her arms around Anna's waist. "I want to dance with you, my feisty red lion."_

_Pink tainted Anna's cheek who only stared at her the princess. "I... I..." Anna wanted to speak but was stopped with Elsa's finger one her lips. Shortly after, the blonde leaned on to kiss her. A deep kiss full of love. "Please." She said after breaking the kiss._

_Anna sighed but smiled. "You win."_

It took several days but it was worth it. Anna was a pretty direct girl. She preferred actions over talks, but she was also a very romantic person. The redhead realized that dancing with Elsa was a way to show how much she loved her. So she practiced hard to be the best dance partner for Elsa. Eventually Anna turned out to be a good dancer and even if both Elsa and her didn't need any lesson anymore, they kept dancing every night, not by obligation but by willingness. Anna could stay close to Elsa, touched her and felt her touch. After all they were dancing, and how could you dance a waltz without touching each other? No one could say something about their closeness. So both lovers had enjoyed their dancing nights. They have been in their own world, full of love for each other. Just Elsa and Anna. Not the princess of Arendelle and a blacksmith. 

A wave of nostalgia filled Elsa when she realized it had been four years since they danced together. She did her best to block her tears from falling. Oh she had missed Anna's touch, their dance under the moon. Anna noticed her sudden change of emotion and asked worried.

"Are you alright, Elsa?"

"Yes. Yes don't worry. I'm just enjoying our dance." The queen smiled.

Anna nodded, feeling the same. She couldn't explain it, but she had one of those déjà-vu feelings again. But this time, she didn't have a headache to make her forget. No, it was the contrary; she was feeling a light sensation in her heart. It made her happy.

They both danced for a while, unaware of people around them. Elsa was happy. She had dreaded that awful day that was Coronation day. She was scared, afraid of her future as a queen. But right now, with Anna by her side, she didn't care. She could climb a whole mountain in heels if it meant she was able to be here by Anna's side. 

But that blissful moment was cut short. 

"Excuse me, your majesty."

Both women turned their heads to see a young man with red hair and the most ostentatious sideburns they had ever seen. He was wearing a white uniform. Elsa tensed when she recognized the symbol of the Southern Isles on his clothes. Anna noticed it. Immediately, she furtively put her hand on Der Koenig, ready to protect her queen, her friend. 

"I am Hans, Thirteenth prince of the Southern Isles. Would your majesty be kind enough to dance with me?" The man said, smiling.

Anna observed him. He seemed nice. Other women would surely find him attractive and well mannered like the perfect husband. But she could see it in his eyes: malevolence and treachery. Anna didn't like him and she hated even more that he was next to Elsa. However a hand on her back stopped her. She turned and saw the queen, looking at her. Elsa's fear had disappeared. No. The blonde had hidden it behind a mask. She was queen now. She couldn't show fear anymore.

_'Let me deal with it, Anna. Let's not make a scene right now, please.'_ Anna could read in Elsa's eyes. She nodded before bowing to her and walking away to her post. The redhead trusted her friend and if something happened to her, she would be here with Tian and Sophia to take care of it. 

Elsa watched Anna leaving before turning toward the prince. She smiled. A fake smile. Like Anna she didn't trust this man even with his perfect look. The fact he was from the Southern Isles didn't reassure her ever.

"Prince Hans." She raised her hand.

The young man smiled and took it in his. They started dancing.

"Congratulations for your coronation, your highness. The ball is also a success" Hans spoke.

"You are welcome." Elsa kept her reply short.

"It was a great honor to come here to see you."

"I don't remember to see your name on the guest list."

"I admit. I may have come here uninvited. But the temptation was so great. After all, the gates of the royal castle have been closed for thirteen years. I couldn't miss that occasion to see you."

"I assure you I am not so special. I just reached the age required to govern my kingdom and take my parents' place." Elsa only said, uneasy by the man's presence. Something was wrong. 

"Oh you are too modest, Queen Elsa." Hans smirked. "You are special. Otherwise you wouldn't have been kidnapped thirteen years ago."

Elsa's eyes widened but she didn't stop dancing. She needed to stay calm. Surely it was a false alarm. He learned about the kidnapping but not about the reasons behind. However she couldn't control the decrease in temperature in the ballroom. Tian and Sophia noticed it. They stopped their activities and observed their protégé, wondering what was happening.

"I am surprised you learned about this incident. But I do believe that being the crown princess of Arendelle surely had put me in danger for years, like other royals." Elsa managed to say.

"I don't think the others princes and princesses have the power of ice." Hans laughed.

Elsa froze. Frost crept on her hands underneath her gloves. The temperature dropped considerably this time. Tian and Sophia knew something was up. Even Anna, who was observing her friend and the prince, tensed when she noticed Elsa's expression.

Something was wrong.

"Who are you?" Elsa stammered, fear in her voice. She can feel ice gathering under her gloves. It was getting dangerous. Immediately, the queen brought her hands close to her body for protection. But the prince stopped her and grabbed her right hand with a strong grip. She winced at the force.

"My brother was a fool to hire mercenaries to kidnap you. Because of him, every relation between our kingdoms has been ended. We lost the war against the kingdom of Orleans, because your kingdom helped them when they realized they would fight against us." He whispered so no one could hear except the queen. "It is my turn to have you now. Weapon of war."

Elsa had difficulty to breath, memories of the past flooding her mind.

_"Make her keep quiet!"_

_A slap. Pains. Her cheek was burning._

_"Why did we listen to this idiot? Damn Southern Isles."_

_'Southern Isles… Southern Isles.'_

"Stay away from me!" Elsa shrieked. She stepped back, freeing herself from Hans. But she lost her gloves in the process.

The room became silent. Everyone stopped their activities to look at the center of the room where the queen and the prince were dancing. Immediately, kindness reappeared on Hans face. 

"Your majesty. Is everything alright?" He said calmly.

Elsa glared at him. That man was dangerous. He was taking an angelic face to appear innocent to the eyes of the guests. He was duping everyone. But he couldn't fool the queen. How could he? His family had kidnapped her. Frost started to appear around her feet. The temperature in the room was low. Too low. Guests were trembling because of the cold. But Elsa didn't see it. She was oblivious to everything around her. The only thing she saw was Hans, and the only things she could hear were shouts and screams. She tried to forget what happened thirteen years ago. She did forget, thanks to Tian, Sophia and eventually Anna. But now that Hans was before her, her kidnapper's brother, everything came back in her mind. She stepped back again.

"Tian. Sophia." She whispers. She felt tears in her eyes, feeling she was eight years again. "Anna." She was trembling. But her bodyguards were not next to her. They were running toward her, but they were slowed down by the number of guests who were gathered around the royals.

"Elsa!"

Something snapped into the queen when she heard her name. Fear overtook her. She didn't think. She didn't recognize the voice. She only turned around and protected herself. 

"Don't touch me!" She screamed. Without realizing it, she threw spikes of ice toward her attacker. But the latter noticed the attack at the last moment and barely avoided it. One of the spikes scratched her cheek, letting a light trail of blood behind.

Elsa opened her eyes.

_'NO!'_ She gasped. Her eyes widened when she recognized her attacker. She could recognized those teal eyes and strawberry blonde hair everywhere. _'Anna.'_ She saw the blood on her face. She felt her stomach clenching inside her. This time she remembered the accident four years ago. The screams. The howls. The blood. Blood. Blood on Anna's cheek. _'What I have done?'_

Screams could be heard in the whole ballroom. It caught Elsa's attention who eventually realized she had revealed her deepest secret to everyone. She looked at Anna one more time. The latter looked back at her surprised, but with no trace of fear on her face.

_'Ice?'_ Anna thought, calmly. Ice. Elsa had ice powers. Why wasn't she more startled by this discovery? After all she just discovered that the queen of Arendelle had ice powers.

_"Do the magic Elsa!"_

_"I swear Anna. Sometimes you behave like a kid."_

_"The woman I love has magic powers. How I can't behave like a kid?!" The redhead laughed._

Anna froze, images flooding her mind.

_'What the...'_

Suddenly, the knight felt a sharp pain in her head. She winced and closed her eyes. Sophia was at her side in no time, asking her if she was alright. The redhead nodded, feeling the pain fading quickly. She opened her eyes again and saw Tian, furious, holding Prince Hans by his collar. And Elsa... Anna straightened up. The queen had disappeared. 'No!' Anna didn't waste any time, she didn't even think and ran toward the door of the ballroom, ignoring Sophia and Tian who were calling her. 

In the court, Anna looked around, panting, hoping to find Elsa. She noticed a trail of frost near the stairs toward the lake. The redhead followed it.

-X-

Anna saw her powers.

Anna saw her powers and almost remembered. 

She had hurt Anna.

Elsa ran. 

She left the ballroom and the guests in awe. She left Anna behind her. She was running far away from her for the redhead's safety. Despite her vision blurred by tears, the blonde managed to walk through the castle, ran down the stairs and reached the edge of the lake. She stopped, looking at the water and the fjords. She needed to leave this place and to never come back, for her kingdom and more importantly for Anna. 

"Elsa!"

Elsa's heart skipped a bit. It was Anna. She had followed her. She needed to leave now or Anna would catch her and she was not ready to face the redhead. She had to cross this lake. With hesitation, she put her foot on the water. In a flash, ice started spreading on the water. Elsa didn't hesitate and started running on the ice, which was spreading as she was running. However when she left the shore, she felt something falling. Instinctively she reached her pocket. Nothing. She lost Anna's present. Elsa slowed down. She needed to take it back. But Anna's voice was getting closer.

_'Anna!'_ Elsa sobbed. 

No she can't turn back. She knew if she saw her lover's face she wouldn't be able to run away anymore. She couldn't let that happen. Anna should never be near her ever again. She was dangerous. She was a monster. So, with tear in her eyes, Elsa kept running toward the other side of the lake through the fjord.

Anna reached the shore of the lake, watching the queen leaving. She looked at her friend running away, powerless. She looked down, frustrated by her own weakness when she noticed a small wooden object on the round. She took it. It was a small fox carved in the wood. 

_'It's...'_

However a cold wind on her skin interrupted Anna's thoughts. She looked up. Teal eyes widened at the view. Ice. Ice was covering the fjords, freezing the lake and trapping the boats. Snow and ice in summer. 

"What the...?"

Suddenly the redhead heard something behind her. She turned around and saw horses running on the bridge that connects the castle to the city. It was Tian and Sophia. They were following Elsa. 

Anna looked back at the fjords, trapped under an eternal winter.

"Elsa" She whispered.


	5. Chapter 04: Art of War (by Vanessa Mae)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not dead, just really slow in writing. I won't stop that story, don't worry, I will do my best otherwise to write faster. Thank you to everyon who still reads this story

_"Is everything alright Anna?"_

_Teal eyes looked up._

_"Sophia? What are you doing here?" Anna asked instead of answering._

_"I should be the one saying that." The bodyguard laughed. "It is rare to see you in the royal gardens without Elsa."_

_"Elsa is busy with her father... And... I needed to think... Alone."_

_Sophia noticed the frown on the redhead's face and her morose voice._

_"Is something wrong Anna?"_

_Anna stayed silent, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. After a moment she sighed._

_"Elsa's birthday is in two weeks." She mumbled._

_"And?" Sophia hesitated. "Don't tell me you are worrying because of her present? She laughed._

_"But I do!" Anna suddenly cried. "I love her, I want to give her the best of the presents. But she is a princess." She got up. "I am sure Elsa will have the most beautiful presents like jewels, fine clothes... Things I will never be able to buy..."_

_Sophia observed her friend before it dawned on her. "Anna don’t tell me that.... The day you fainted during your training last week had something to do with all of this, right?"_

_Anna looked away ashamed. "Four jobs a day might have not been the best decision." She whispered._

_"Anna!"_

_"I know I know. And it came out all of this were for nothing. Dad had to use the money I gathered to pay the doctor." The redhead groaned. "I'm so stupid. What Elsa will think of me now?" Anna heavily dropped on the ground. Sophia only smiled at her friend's behavior. She sat next to her._

_"I think Elsa will be touched by how you take all of this to heart. It proves you care for her. Though you should be more careful. Elsa was worried to death when we said to her you fainted while you were sparring with Tian."_

_"I still have nothing for her birthday." The strawberry blonde knight groaned. She put her head in her hands._

_"Anna."_

_Silence._

_"Anna look at me."_

_Anna raised her head. Teal met teal._

_"Anna listen to me. Elsa loves you. She loves you very much. Because she loves you so much she won't care of what you will get her."_

_"Are you sure?" Anna spoke with a glint of hope in her voice._

_"Yes. Even better. Instead of buying her something anyone can buy, why don't you create your own present for her? Something unique you..."_

_Sophia didn't have time to finish her sentence and felt a pair of arms around her neck._

_"Sophia you are a genius!"_

_The bodyguard started to speak but the redhead had already left._

_"I'll see you later! Thank you too!" She shouted before disappearing from sight, letting a dumbfounded Sophia behind._

_Two weeks later._

_"Happy birthday Elsa!" Anna shouted, her arms wide opened. Elsa smiled and ran toward her girlfriend. She jumped in her arms. Immediately the redhead caught her. They spinned around, both laughing. Eventually they stopped, Anna's arms secured around Elsa's waist. Both girl were silent, enjoying the other's presence until the smaller girl took the first step. She kissed the blonde girl who eagerly reciprocated._

_"Thank you, love" Elsa whispered._

_As usual the lovers met in the royal gardens. Tian and Sophia were still present, but they let room for the couple. Today, it was Elsa’s birthday. Anna invited Elsa to sit at their usual place under the tree in the middle of the garden. She has installed the blanket prior to their meeting. Elsa smiled and sat. Normally if today was a normal day, Anna would have put a plate full of chocolate on her laps so they could share afterward. But today was not a normal day. Instead of a plate of chocolate, Elsa got a small package on her laps. Surprised she turned toward her girlfriend._

_"Anna. What is it?"_

_"A present for you!" A grin. "If you ever happen to have a bad day and I'm not here for you, that present will help you thinking of me and cheering you up."_

_"Thank you, Anna. But you know I prefer to have you in person."_

_"I know but you don't know what could happen in the future. I may not be here for you."_

_"It's not funny, Anna."_

_A laugh_

_"You know I'll be always here for you, Elsa."_

_"Anna…"_

_"Shush" Anna put her finger on Elsa's lips. "Enough talk, open your present Kjaerste."_

_Elsa sighed in resignation and open the package on her laps. She gasped of surprise when she took the small wooden fox in her hands._

_"Anna, it's..." The blonde stammered._

_"I sculpted it myself" Anna beamed happily. "A little fox who will always watch over you for me."_

_"Anna, it is beautiful, I love it!" Elsa beamed. She immediately kissed the redhead. "The best present ever."_

_Anna smiled. "Glad you love it, Kjaerste. I love you..." She looked at the figure she had carved for several days. She had put all her heart in that wood fox, thinking of Elsa during the whole process.  
_

A snowflake.

A snowflake on the wood fox.

Anna blinked. 'What?'

Suddenly a cold wind woke up and blew in her face. The strawberry blonde girl firmly adjusted her fur coat on her to keep her warm. 

_'Right. Winter.'_

Anna looked around her. She was in her private spot near the fjords. But this time it was covered by snow. She could only see white everywhere. The lake was frozen and no rays of light could cut through the thick grey clouds. It was like the fjords were frozen in time. Anna sighed seeing no improvement in the landscape and looked back at the fox figure in her hands.

The knight spent a part of her afternoon here to think. A week had passed since Elsa left. Tian and Sophia hadn't come back ever since. Because there were not enough food and warm clothes for this unexpected winter, people were getting worried. Fortunately Olga and the captain of the Royal guards were keeping order in the kingdom. But it was a question of time before troubles started.

"What is it happening to me?"

Anna put her head in her hands. Since Elsa's coronation, images were twirling in her head. They were not new to the redhead, but they have been more frequent for the past week. At the beginning, those images were accompanied with a huge headache. But as times passed, pain was fading away and now anytime Anna would look at something, images of Elsa were flooding her mind.

Were they memories of her past or only figments or her imagination?

It was impossible. She couldn’t be Elsa’s lover. It was all a dream.

Slowly, Anna got up. She readjusted her coat on her shoulder and left the place, staring at the castle.

_'There is only one way to be sure now.'_

-X-

When Anna entered the castle, she was welcomed by guards and people running everywhere. The central court was thriving with activities. Soldiers were checking the equipment. Pickaxes, ropes, all the climbing materials were packed in the travel bags. Provisions were gathered. At a simple glance, it looked like a simple expedition to look for Queen Elsa and her bodyguards. It could have been impressive to see how soldiers and people were working together to look for their monarch.

But Anna sighed.

"This is so wrong." She whispered

Red, black, grey… Those colors were not the colors of Arendelle. All those soldiers were from Weselton and the Southern Islands. The only royal knights, Anna could spot, were the corrupted nobles Olga talked about. The redhead could even see the soldiers who insulted Tian last week. All those people were strangers. She didn't trust any of them, she could see in their eyes each time they had come to the forge to sharpen their weapons. Treachery and evilness were the only things she could see in their eyes. 

They were the same strangers, led by Hans, who would look for the queen.

Olga should have been the one leading the expedition not Hans. But two days ago, when Olga announced her intention to lead an expedition, Hans stepped in and proposed to be the one to lead the expedition telling the eternal winter had been his fault. Olga totally refused. 

Anna agreed with Olga.

She still didn't believe that man. But suddenly the ministers arrived. They pointed out how Olga's royal knights failed in their mission. They all agreed to let Hans rescue the queen. Of course Olga was furious, but she could nothing against the ministers who had been holding the power in Arendelle since Elsa left. Of course it would have been to strange to send no one from Arendelle in the rescue mission, hence the royal knights from the most "trusted" noble house of Arendelle like the House of Sture.

Hans had corrupted them. Olga was not duped. She could see clearly in their game. But her hands were tied. With Elsa gone, the ministers had the power of the kingdom once again.

"Anna? What are you doing here?"

The strawberry blonde girl turned around. "Knight Captain Olga." She bowed.

"No need for the formalities Anna. I am just surprised to see you here." The knight captain raised an eyebrow.

"I had something to do before going home…" Anna only replied. "I was just checking how the preparations were going."

Olga sighed. "Well unfortunately."

Anna nods. "If it was me. I would have punched all those ministers in the face." She laughed, trying to lighten the mood.

The captain laughed. "Trust me, I would have too. But…"

"… our hands are tied." Anna continued.

"Mine are tied. Yours are not." Olga pointed out.

Anna frowned. "What do you mean?"

Olga smiles. "Don’t worry about it." She turned around to leave. "You will understand in due time."

Anna looked at the older women, curious. Eventually she moved along. She had something to check before it was too dark to see anything.

-X-

White.

White everywhere.

This what welcomed Anna when she entered the royal garden. The place had not been spared by the eternal winter as snow was covering every flower and tree of the garden. The place was frozen in time. There was no sound, no movement. Only silence.

A silent white garden.

With the queen gone and this winter, royal guards were busy either to keep order in the kingdom or to help people for the rescue expedition. No one was there to stop Anna from entering the garden, which was restricted to the royal family only. Silently, the redhead moved, making her way through the frozen landscape. 

It was strange.

Anna didn’t remember being in the garden before. Guards would always stop her from being near this place. Still she found her way without any problems, even with the path covered in snow. Her feet were guiding her like they had walked the same path a hundred of time already. She walked calmly, her eyes wandering around her, on the blue bells on her left, myrfiol on her right. The sound of her steps in the snow echoing in the garden, breaking the silence. Eventually her eyes laid on the white tree in the center of the garden.

_"Anna."_

Teal eyes frowns. Familiar images were flooding her mind once again.

_"I can’t believe you are mine." Anna said in disbelief. She was laying on the ground her head on Elsa’s laps. The blonde was playing with her strawberry blonde bangs. After Anna had proposed her, she had been ready to go see her father to tell the news, but Elsa had convinced her to stay in the garden for a little while. They were not in a hurry and the princess wanted to enjoy that beautiful day._

_"Did you really believe I would say no to you, feisty fox?" She said defiantly even though the smile on her face was indicating she was joking._

_Anna looked at her._

_"Part of me yes." She whispered and then looked away._

_Elsa frowned. "Anna…"_

_"You are a princess Elsa. Me? Only a blacksmith. To marry you I need to become a royal knight. But…" Teal eyes looked at icy blue ones. "It will take time. I may even never be a royal knight. So either you will have to wait for me or I will never be able to marry you… and… it means you may find someone else, someone better than me…"_

_Soft lips on her own stopped Anna from speaking. "You are rambling love." Elsa smiled after the kiss._

_"Elsa…" Anna tried to speak._

_This time slender fingers on her lips stopped her._

_"I love you Anna. Never doubt of that. I will wait for you until the end of time, forever and after." She caressed her cheek. "It pains me that you think otherwise…"_

_"I’m sorry Elsa, I just want the best for you." The redhead whispered._

_"You are the best thing that could have ever happened in my life, my feisty fox. You are my life."_

_Finally a smile appeared on the younger girl’s features._

_"Let’s make a promise." Elsa proposed. "I will wait for you my love. Months, years or decades. I will wait for you, either you are a Royal Knight or not, I will marry you. I promise."_

_"I love you Elsa." Anna said._

_"Always and forever" Elsa replied._

_"Until the end of time." Anna added._

_Both women looked at each other. They knew their love for each other once again became more powerful. Slowly they kissed again. A simple kiss but meaningful, full of love. Eventually they parted away. Anna caressed her lover’s cheeks._

_"I promise Elsa. I will reach you, I swear."_

_Suddenly the young knight got an idea and got up. "Wait here kjaerste."_

_"Anna what are you doing?" Elsa laughed as she saw her lover running toward the tree behind her. Their tree._

_"Immortalizing our promise!" Anna grinned as she took her personal knife from her pocket and started carving in the trunk._

_Elsa stayed behind waiting patiently, smiling. She was happy, realizing that the redhead behind her was now her fiancée. Everything now was brighter around her. Sounds were like blissful music. She felt light, free from all burdens and filled with pure happiness. A warm feeling gathered in her chest. She welcomed it with all her heart._

_"Finished!" Anna beamed. "Come Kjaerste!"_

_The blonde laughed and got up. She wrapped her arms around her lover and put her had on her shoulder._

_"So what did you write?" The princess smiled._

_Gloved fingers touched the carved letters in a heart on the tree. Teal eyes frowned._

Anna  
+  
Elsa  
=  
Forever

"I am becoming crazy." Anna whispered.

For four years, all those images in her head had been flash backs of a life from which she had no memory. The blacksmith leant her forehead on the tree. She sighed. It was impossible. She couldn’t have been Elsa’s lover. But why was she crying then? Anna could feel the tears falling on her face, rolling on her cheeks before dropping in the cold snow. She could feel it. The feeling of loss in her heart. Something was missing. Cold fingers on her warm skin, full lips on hers. Deep icy blue eyes, full of love and compassion, looking at her.

"Elsa." Anna whispered.

She needed to find her. She needed answers. She was sure the queen had them.

"You imbecile! What have you done?"

Teal eyes widened. People were here. According to their voices, they were walking along the walls of the castle. Immediately Anna moved behind the tree to be out of sight and listened.

"My dear Duke, would you kindly cool down?" A laugh

"I’m not here to listen to your jokes Westeguard! We made a deal. I help you get the queen and I get trading opportunities with the Southern Isles. But instead she left and you proposed yourself to go after her!"

"Exactly." Hans smirked. He quickly gave a glance around him to be sure they were alone. He needed a private with the tiny man, his accomplice. With the whole winter affair, the royal garden sounded to be a good private place. Except he didn’t notice the young redhead who was watching them.

"You see my dear Duke." Hans grins wider. "One of my brother’s mistakes had been to kidnap the queen. You saw the results. War with Arendelle. It was stupid. Instead of forcing the queen to come, let the queen leave her kingdom. With this eternal winter and her ice power, people are scared, scared of their queen. Perfect opportunity to abduct her." 

Hans laughed, deviousness in his eyes.

"But here the thing." He added. "In all this disaster come a hero ready to rescue the queen of Arendelle and put an end to this eternal winter. "He exclaimed. "His reward would be to marry the queen, who is eternally grateful for this miracle, and becomes King of Arendelle!"

"By hero you mean you." Weselton frowned. "Do you think it will really work? What tell you the queen will accept to marry you or even come with you to end this winter." He wondered.

The prince only laughed. "If she refuses, I think it is time to end the queen’s so short reign. A simple accident or Queen Elsa losing her mind would be a perfect excuse, especially when I have the majority of ministers and nobles in the palm of my hand."

Teal eyes widened. Anna clenched her teeth hard, trying to not jump on that monster to kill him on the spot. She was sure Elsa wouldn’t agree to his terms. Hans will kill her if he reached her.

"And what will all of these bring me?" The short old man inquired.

"If I become King, the main access to the harbor of Arendelle for all your ships and a trading exclusivity. Free. Of. Tax."

The duke of Weselton stayed silent for a moment until a huge grin appeared on his face. "My men are at your service, Westeguard."

Hans grinned. "Then let’s discuss this in my quarters."

Anna silently observed the two men, who were calmly exiting the gardens. She needed to warn Olga and the others. Elsa was in danger…

"YOU! What are you doing here?"

The redhead turned around and froze when she saw soldiers coming toward her. Arendelle soldiers accompanied by Southern Isles ones? Traitors. Anna quickly deduced. If Hans had bribed the ministers and nobles, it explained the selected royal knights for the expedition. It means also some Arendelle guards and knights were corrupted. 

Anna ran. She needed to warn the others.

-X-

Kai sighed. It had been a long day. Even if the castle was almost empty with people gathering in the main court for the research expedition, the head of the staff still had his duties to attend. With Gerda’s help he ordered the staff to keep the rooms clean and in order. Even if the ruling monarch was absent, it was not an excuse to let the castle unattended. As the head of staff, the man was asked to keep the premises presentable for the return of his queen. But Kai knew. Part of all of these was a way to distract him from his main worries. Elsa was gone. With Gerda, Tian and Sophia, he had taken care of the young princess since her parents’ death. So he was worried for the queen’s safety. He was not so easily tricked. Like Olga, he didn’t trust that prince of Southern Isles especially when he had be chosen by the most corrupted ministers of the kingdom. Being the head of the staff had its perks. He was not deaf and could hear all the rumors in the high circles of the kingdom.

But right now he felt helpless. He could do nothing but wait. So slowly he walked back to the queen’s study for a last check of the day. The castle was empty for the rest of the day, employees busy with the expedition and the preparations to survive that eternal winter.  
The man put his hand on the doorknob when he heard someone running. He turned around. His eyes widened when he saw a girl with signature strawberry hair and freckles rushing toward him.

"Anna? What…"

"No time to explain." Anna interrupted him. "Kai it is an emergency. You need to warn Olga. Hans and Weselton want to kill Elsa!"

"What?" Kai said in disbelief. "Anna I don’t understand."

"I don’t have time. Soldiers are after me. They work for Hans." Anna looked behind her. She could hear footsteps coming closer. She turned back to Kai and pushed him in the study. "Take the secret passage and warn Olga. You need to stop the expedition or Elsa will die!"

"Secret passage? How do you…" But Kai didn’t have time to continue as Anna closed the door of the study. He didn’t waste time and ran toward the chimney and pushed a particular stone on it. The back of the chimney open and he entered. There was one thing he was sure. He trusted Anna.

"She is here!" A soldier shouted.

Anna turned in the corner. She succeeded in guiding her chasers in the opposite direction of the study. Kai was safe now. But she was not.  
Since the soldiers spotted her in the garden, she had been running in the whole castle to find someone to warn. But she had been able to find no one! ‘The castle had to be empty the day I need people the most’ Anna had groaned until she met Kai in the study. Now. She was running along the corridor. She could hear men shouting behind her. According to the voices, they were five or six soldiers. 

"Gods, so many people to arrest me. I should be flattered." Anna laughed despite the situation. 

She knew she was doomed. In a few minutes other soldiers would stop her in the next corner. She knew the castle. The guards knew it as well. It wouldn’t be difficult for them to catch her. She could have chosen another way. But it was too close to the study. She didn’t want to risk Kai being caught as well. Her capture would at least distract the soldiers.

_‘Okay here we come.’_ Anna grimaced. _‘I hope they won’t break me anything.’_

Anna turned around the corner. Three soldiers were here to stop her. In an instant the redhead is tackled on the ground, three grown men on her. She groaned in pain. Suddenly she was lifted from the floor. The other soldiers who were pursuing her eventually arrived, panting. One of them forced her to kneel on the ground and immobilized her arms. She tried to free herself, but the grips were strong.

"You little brat." One of the Southern Isles soldiers shouted.

"Well well." Anna heard footsteps. She clenched her fists recognizing the voice. "Look who we have here." 

"One of Queen Elsa’s lackeys." Hans snickered. Slowly he knelt before Anna and lift her head with her fingers. "Ahhh you were cute. Sad you know our plans. I may have proposed you to come in my quarters for some times alone." He smirked.

The redhead groaned and moved her head away. "Better dying than being near you."

"A feisty one also." He laughed.

"You won’t get away with that Hans. You won’t kill Elsa. I will stop you!" She was fuming.

He evilly grinned. "I doubt that you will able to do it in jail. Also, I think trying to assassinate a prince is considered treason in Arendelle. Death sentence."

"You bastard. You can’t…."

"I have the majority of ministers and nobles under my orders. Arendelle is almost mine. I only need to take care of its official ruler. I have already won"

Anna screamed and tried to get up. But the soldiers’ strong grip kept her in place. She is violently tackled on the ground.

"Take her to the dungeon. I need to finish some last minutes preparations for the expedition."

Immediately Anna was moved away. The corridors were empty once again, no one unaware of what happened a moment ago.

-X-

"Here little brat!" The soldier shouted. "Your new home until the time of your execution." He laughed, throwing Anna in the cell before locking it.

The red head groaned when she touched the ground. She turned around and looked at her jailers

"You won’t get away with this!" She spat.

The soldiers only laughed. "Instead of thinking of your pretty queen, you should think about you." He smirked.

"Why should she?" The other soldiers laughed. "Soon she won’t have her head to think" 

This time both soldiers laughed while they were leaving the dungeons. Anna looked at them leaving, fuming. She clenched her fists and punched the ground in frustration. "Dammit!" Anna groaned. 

_‘Okay Anna clam down, you need to calm down.’_

Slowly she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale. After several minutes Anna opened her eyes, calm. Finally. She could think clearly once again. She sighed when she realized in which situation she was in. She was doomed. There was no way she could escape from her cell alone. It meant she would die tomorrow.

But.

Anna smiled. Hans and his solders haven’t found out for Kai. Surely the head of staff had told everything to Olga. They would do everything to save Elsa.

Elsa would be safe.

It was all what mattered to Anna. As long as the queen was alive and back to the throne, she could die. 

Of course, it would be best if she could survive. But Elsa’s safety was first. 

Surprisingly, Anna was serene. Slowly she drifted into sleep, dreams clouded her mind.

"I love you Anna."

"I love you too Elsa." The redhead smiled.

"Always and forever?"

"Until the end of times."


	6. Tough Boy (by TOM^Cat)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still alive, I won't give up that fic like that don't worry. So no much Elsanna interaction there and the next chapter as well... Don't worry I'm preparing you. After this chapter and the chapter after, the Elsanna feels will strike you hard...

_"Sophia?"_

_"Yes Anna?" The bodyguard replied, still looking at the papers before her. She completed a missions a few days ago and had to fill a report for the king, the queen and their ministers. She retreated herself in her quarters to finish the papers as soon as possible before going back to Tian and Elsa. Normally Anna should have been with them as well. She was more than surprise to see her here._

_"I… Tian and you, are together, right?" Anna asked._

_Sophia smiled. "Yes, why?"_

_"Are you both together with Elsa?" She asked straight away._

_A scratch on the paper._

_Sophia stopped, pen in her hands. She looks at Anna with the widest eyes she could made. Anna immediately stepped back and spoke._

_"I shouldn’t have asked this question! So sorry Sophia. I should go…"_

_"No Anna." The bodyguard grabbed Anna’s wrist. "Come back here, little fox."_

_She released the redhead and pated the chair next to her._

_But Anna didn’t bulge. Sophia sighed. "Little fox, you are not in trouble. Come here. Let’s talk about it."_

_Eventually the strawberry haired girl moved and sat next to the bodyguard._

_"So…" Sophia started, slowly putting her reports away for the moment. "Why do you think Elsa, Tian and I are together?" No point in walking around the bush._

_There was a silence. Anna was looking for the right words to say. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself once again. "I… I don’t know… I just…" She groans, putting her head between her hands._

_"It’s just when I see you with Tian and Elsa, you seem so happy together, so close. You share such a special bonds between each others. I don’t feel I belong here… with you. Elsa loves me. But it seems not as much as she loves both of you…"_

_"Okay stop there little fox." Sophia interrupted her. She sighed. Anna looks at her, worries in her eyes. "First of all, Anna, it’s not what you think. Tian and I are together. Yes. But Elsa is not our secret lover or something. Okay?" The redhead nodded, relieved._

_"I have told Tian to speak with you for weeks to avoid this kind of situation." Sophia groaned. "She will have such a talk when I see her."_

_"What did she need to tell me?" The young blacksmith in training asked, now curious._

_Sophia turned to her friend and cleared her throat. "She needed to talk to you about her past, about how we met."_

_Anna’s eyes widened. "About her past? Why?"_

_"It would explain why the three of us are so close."_

_"And the reason she didn’t tell me… is because she doesn’t trust me about it?" A sad frown appeared on the redhead’s face, strengthening her first assumption about the trio._

_"No! Anna she trusts you." Sophia quickly said, noticing Anna’s grim mood. "We all trust you. Tian is just shy about telling you her past?"_

_Anna puffed. "Tian? Shy?"_

_Sophia laughed. "Yes shy." Her eyes softened. "You know Tian is not from Arendelle."_

_"Her accent." Anna simply said._

_"Even after all these years, she still that little accent that I love to hear. But she doesn’t and rarely talk with people and usually let me speak for her during conversations and lessons. Her accent is the only thing that tied her to her past she is trying to forget."_

_"To forget?"_

_"Yes forget."_

_Teal met teal._

_"Tian was born in a country far away from Arendelle in the east. Her family was struggling to survive each day. Tian was their only child. She helped them everyday. But it was not enough and one day her parents did what they thought right to survive."_

_"Sophia…"_

_"They sold her."_

_Anna’s eyes widened. She stayed silent, unable to say a word._

_"There were men from Europe looking for oriental young girls. Those girls were destined to brothels…"_

_"But it’s horrible!" Anna cried._

_"Horrible, yes." Sophia silently said, looking at Anna. "Horrible."_

_"What happened then?"_

_The bodyguard smiled. "Tian was strong. She was a fighter. During the travel, she succeeded in escaping from the men who were transporting her to the west. She ran and hid in the nearest forest she could find. She had survived in that forest for several months."_

_Anna smiled. "A true survivor." Then she rose an eyebrow. "How did you meet then?"_

_"Do you remember what happened nine years ago?"_

_Anna stayed silent for a moment thinking. "I don’t know, the royal castle being closed to people?"_

_Sophia nodded. "Do you know what they closed the gates?"_

_"No."_

_"Because nine years ago, Elsa had been kidnapped."_

_Anna froze. She clenched her fists. Of course, Anna knew this accident happened in the past, and clearly Elsa had been saved from her abductors. But Anna couldn’t fathom that people had tried to hurt her partner, the love of her life. If she was able to go back in the past, she would have killed those men personally. The redhead was so lost in her thoughts, she jumped when she felt a hand on her knee._

_"Hey hey little fox." Sophia smiled. "Everything is alright now."_

_"How Elsa had been saved?"_

_"The kidnappers made a stop near the forest outskirting Arendelle. They wanted to rest a little and prepare for the long journey to the country where their employers lived. However, they hadn’t suspected they weren’t alone in that forest." Sophia grinned._

_"Tian?" Anna smiled._

_"She was there when the group arrived in the forest. She saw Elsa crying, binded with ropes and dragged by those men. She thought Elsa was like her, a girl sold to a brothel. She didn’t think. She knew that she couldn’t let that happen to another person like her. So she jumped on those men while they were sleeping and attacked them._

_"Then?"Anna was now captivated by the story._

_"My father and Elsa’s eventually arrived to the spot where the abductors were. They saw the men lying on the floor, some of them were alive and others not. In the middle of all this mess, Tian was there with Elsa behind her. She was protecting her, even if she was badly injured. The fight against the bandits were a tough one. But Tian still stood to protect Elsa._

_Anna stared at Sophia in awe, captivated by the story. She frowns however shortly after._

_"Why are you telling me that story? I don’t understand." Anna inquired._

_The bodyguard smiled. "You see Anna, after those events, Elsa became really shy and rarely left her bedroom. She was scared. That’s why the king and queen closed the doors of the castle. To protect her. However after those events, Elsa had held Tian in high esteem for saving her. Elsa and I helped Tian adapting herself to the country. She learned from us and we learned from her. But the thing Anna, is that Elsa had always considered Tian and I as her big sisters since then. No matter how close we are, we never crossed the line between friendship and lover, because we were not the ones for our princess. To her eyes we are her protectors, nothing more."_

_Sophia put her hand on Anna, above her heart._

_"You are the one Anna. You are the one who can make Elsa smiles and laughs so heartedly . Even if we have been with Elsa since the accident, she has never smiled like that with us. What do you have with Elsa is unique and pure. Do you understand?"_

_Anna was in loss of words for a moment, not processing Sophia’s word. She blushed a little. Suddenly she straightened up. "Yes, I do." She smiles._

_Sophia grins as well and get up. "Okay time to join the others, would you?"_

_The redhead nodded and followed her friend outside._

-X-

"Be silent!"

"Better said than done!"

Teals eyes opened. 

Anna had woken up immediately when she had heard footsteps near her cells. She had kept here eyes closed, thinking it had been the guards, not wanting to deal with them right now. She had had a nice dream. Elsa was in it. She had wished to preserve that last happy memory before the end. However, when she had heard the voices, being surprised was a huge understatement. 

Anna quickly got up and reached the bars of her cells. She could see a light glow on her right. It became brighter until she could see the lantern and the man holding it.

"Kristoff!" Anna shouted low.

"Hey there feisty pants." The young man smiled, stopping before the cell.

Suddenly, the redhead noticed the man behind her friend. Her eyes widened when she recognized him. He was wearing casual clothes, a worn out blue tunic and pants with a satchel on his shoulders. His clothes were so different from the one he wore several days ago.

"Prince Eugene?" Anna asked in disbelief.

"I am surprised you recognized me." The royal laughed softly. "We barely saw each other at the coronation ball." He then reached the door of the cells and kneeled, taking some tools out of his bag.

"We’re here to free you, Anna" Kristoff whispered. "Kai informed us of Hans’ plans to kill Queen Elsa."

Anna froze. "Then why are you here to save me?" She shouted. "You need to warn Elsa before it’s too late!"

"Calm down feisty pants." Kristoff looked around to be sure no one heard them. "We couldn’t let you die like that! Moreover, Olga is preparing everything to save the queen, and she needs you for that.

"Me?"

"Yes you. Now we need to get you out of here. Prince Eugene, if you would please stop playing with that lock, we can try to find the keys…"

Kristoff was stopped in his speech, when the door suddenly opened. The prince got up, putting his tool back in his bag, a smug smile on his face. "Child’s play." Both Anna and Kristoff stared at him, mouth agape. 

"I don’t think princes are taught to lock pick cells door in a castle." Anna slowly said.

"There is so much things you don’t know about me." Eugene smiled. "I will tell you about it one day. But for now we don’t have much time before the guards arrived to check about you."

Anna nodded.

Without a sound, the trio left the dungeons. Fortunately, the castle was not heavy protected tonight; guards and knights busy with the expedition preparations. They easily bypassed the guards in the corridor, knocking some of them inconspicuous when they needed to and eventually ended up in Elsa’s study. 

The secret passage.

Anna watched Eugene activating the mechanism for the chimney to open. Without a doubt, Kai had told them about the escape route for emergencies. The passage clear, Kristoff was the first to enter. Anna was ready to follow.

“Hey did you hear that?” 

Everyone froze in the study, all eyes turned toward the closed doors from where came the voice. It was a guard on patrol.

“No. There was something?” A second guard spoke.

“I heard something from the study.”

Hearing the guards’ footsteps getting closer, Anna looked at the chimney. Eugene was urging her to enter the passage. But, she was too far away from it. She wouldn’t have time to enter the passage and Eugene to close it before the entrance of the guards in the study.

Anna didn’t waste time and rushed toward the desk on her left. 

“Close the door!” She whispered to Eugene who immediately got it and pushed the door to close it once he entered.  
The redhead moved the chair and hid under the desk. She then brought the chair back toward her, as close as possible to the desk. Not a second after, she heard the door of the study open. She stopped moving, waiting. The guards entered the room, their heavy footsteps resonating on the floor. Anna tensed as she heard them coming closer to the desk, ready to fight if need be. But fortunately, they stopped.

“So do you see something?” The guard asked his friend.

Silence. 

“No nothing. Must be my imagination.” 

“That means you need to come to the tavern with me for some pints.” 

Both guards laughed. They left the room and closed the doors behind them. The young blacksmith relaxed and sighed in relief. Quietly she got out of her hideout and walked toward the chimney. The passage opened again, showing Eugene and Kristoff waiting for her.

“That was a close one.” Eugene laughed to ease out the stress.

“The slacking of those guards is astonishing.” Anna realized.

“But good for us at least.” Kristoff pointed out. 

The trio muffled a laugh before they kept going into the passage. After walking down a series of stairs, they eventually ended up outside of the castle. It was dark outside, the full moon high in the sky, illuminating Arendelle and its timeless landscape. Anna took a deep breath of fresh air, happy to be outside and free. She then glanced at the lake before her. It was still frozen, no boat moving on its surface. A slight fog was lingering on the surface on the lake, making the whole place mysterious and cold. Then, the redhead looked at her right and saw the stairs leading to the inner court of the castle, where the preparations for the expedition were made. She still couldn’t believe that a week ago, she was at the same place trying to stop Queen Elsa from crossing the lake. Unconsciously, she reached the pocket of her pants and held tight the small wood figurine in it. She was lucky the guards didn’t find it when they put her in the cell (slacking once again!). Suddenly she felt a heavy fur coat on her shoulder. 

“To keep you warm.” Kristoff explained.

“Thanks.” Anna replied grateful, realizing she was only wearing a worn out shirt and pants. Her warm clothes had been seized by Hans’ guards.

“We need to walk on the lake to reach the other side. We will go along the bridge to get unnoticed.” Eugene explains, stepping slowly on the ice to not fall. 

Anna nodded and followed both men. They took their time on the frozen lake, to not slip on the ice and be detected because of the sound of their steps. Several times, they had to hide under the bridge, a guard above their heads checking both the bridge and the lake. Fortunately the constant fog offered a nice protection. Eventually the trio reached the other side. The main square was deserted, except for a royal knight who was holding the reign of three horses.

“Jake?” Anna shouted her voice low. 

“You didn’t think we would let you down Anna?” Jake smiled, handing the reigns.

“Thanks for the help.” Kristoff thumbed up.

“It was my pleasure. But you mustn’t waste any more time. You need to go.”

Eugene and Kristoff rode their horse, ready to depart. Anna followed them shortly after but turned toward her friend first. “What about you?”

“I will make a diversion in case the guards are running after you. Don’t worry I’ll be safe.” 

Anna was still worried, but she nodded. Soon after, she was gone with Eugene and Kristoff.

-X-

Anna followed Eugene and Kristoff. The riders were silent, not wanting to gather more attention than they were already by reading horse in the middle of the night. After several minutes, they reached the outskirt of the city, the noble district. The simple houses and several shops let place to ostentatious mansions and properties of several hectares. Anna recognized all the family crests along the way. She frowned at some of them, knowing they were working for Hans and plotting against Elsa. Suddenly, the young blacksmith wondered where they were going when they went past the noble district. The only mansion left was reserved to… oh. It finally dawned on Anna when she realized she was guided by Prince Eugene. They eventually arrived at the last mansion. A two-stories edifice with and inner courtyard and stables. It was small and simple compared to other noble houses. Still it had nothing to envy of the others. The mansion was beautiful itself with its intricate patterns and ornaments. The flag of Corona was proudly displayed on the house.

‘The Corona’s summer house’ Anna whispered. 

Because of their frequent long visits at Arendelle, the royal family of Corona decided to buy a property in the kingdom, to not burden the castle staff with their presence. It saved rooms for other foreign dignitaries at the same time during important events as well. 

Anna stopped the horse when she reached the stables. Quickly a servant took the mounts and brought them back in their box. Eugene then asked Kristoff and Anna to follow him. At the front doors, a lone figure stood. Anna recognized the short auburn hair and the dark violet dress under the warm coat. Rapunzel, crown princess of Corona and Elsa’s cousin. The girl smiled in relief when she saw her husband, safe, coming to her. Her red cheeks and nose indicated she had been standing there for a long time. They hugged and kissed briefly before the door of the mansion opened, they all entered.  
When the door opened, Anna first noticed the huge marble staircase in the middle of the hall. Only a few lights were still lit, putting the room in a dim light. The last servants awake silently shut the door before retreating to their quarters, the last master of the house finally home. The redhead admired the painted ceiling, the sun of Corona everywhere, mixed with colorful paintings of flowers and diverse forms. Her eyes drifted down, noticing the portrait on the walls, diverse objects there and there and finally her father standing in the middle of the room. The man smiled at her opening his arms. Anna gasped.

“Dad!” 

Immediately she ran toward her father to hug him.

“Firefly! You are safe.” The blacksmith cried in joy.

They stayed like this for a moment. Realization dawned on Anna. If Kristoff and Prince Eugene didn’t rescue her tonight, she would have been executed, letting her father alone in this world. Such a daughter she was. She hadn’t fully thought about the consequences of her act. 

“I thought I have lost you firefly.” 

“I am so sorry dad.” Anna cried. “I almost left you alone in that world… but the queen…” 

“I know.” 

Vlad released his daughter and looked at her in the eyes, “And I am proud of you Anna.” He smiled. “Just stayed safe at the same time, will you?”

Anna grinned. “I will.”

“Sorry to interrupt you reunion.” Eugene said apologetically “But the knight captain is waiting for us.” 

Both daughter and dad nodded and follow the royals toward the study, followed by Kristoff. When they entered the room, Olga was standing next to the study desk, reading a map. When she heard the door opening she turned around and smiled.

“Glad you are safe Anna.” The Knight Captain said relieved.

Anna smiled back, but she frowned shortly after.

“Kristoff told me you needed me to save Elsa?”

Olga nodded, her serious face back into place. “Yes. I thought everything would have been solved by now but the situation happens to be direr than we originally thought.”

Anna frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Olga didn’t speak right away, trying to find her words. “It has been a week since Elsa left the kingdom and Tian and Sophia went after her. I know Tian and Sophia. They know Elsa. Right now I am sure they have found her and are with her.”

“Then…” Anna deduced.

“They should have come back already. But since they have not, it means the queen doesn’t want to come back and they have been staying with her ever since to protect her and to convince her to come back.”

“Why would Queen Elsa not come back?” Eugene inquired.

“Because of her powers.” Olga answered. “Surely she doesn’t know what happened to Arendelle. Neither Tian nor Sophia, they left before the whole accident. So Elsa surely thought everyone would be safer if she stayed away from the kingdom.”

“But she is the queen!”

“And she is human before all, with feelings and fears.” The knight captain looked at Anna. “That’s why you are the only one who can bring her back Anna.”

“Me?” Anna stuttered. “Why?”

“Olga!” Vlad threatened, his shoulder tensed.

“I’m sorry Vlad, but you know I am right. To be honest I would have still waited for Tian and Sophie to bring Elsa back. But with this expedition, Hans and Weselton, and their plot against Elsa, we don’t have time anymore. In this room, the only person who can bring Elsa back now is Anna. We talked about it. You know it is time to put an end to it anyway.” Olga didn’t waver, staring at the blacksmith.  
Anna looked at both of them, lost. They knew something she didn’t know and it was linked to her memory loss four years ago and all her flashbacks.

“Are all of this are linked with what happened to me four years ago?” The redhead wanted a confirmation. She could feel her heart beating faster in her chest, snippets of flashbacks crossing her eyes.

Vlad’s shoulders feel down. He sighed in defeat. “Yes firefly. They are linked.”

“I will go.” Anna announced then, more determined than ever. She needed to save Elsa. Maybe, she could finally have the answers to her questions as well.

A small mysterious smile appeared on Olga’s face. Anna saw her eyes. Relief? Forgiveness? What for? But suddenly the captain frowned again. “However we have a problem.”

Rapunzel intervened at this moment. “By saving you, Hans and the ministers will be in full alert. They will do everything to stop us and you from rescuing Elsa.”

“How?” Anna asked. 

“He has under his orders the ministers and the majority of the noble houses. He is almost controlling the whole kingdom. It won’t be too difficult for him to arrest us for treason.”

“Who are still faithful to the queen?” 

“The Renmeyer. Obviously.” Olga continued. “The Tarild family is still with us until the end.”  
Anna smiled at the name, remembering how the Félix had defended his friend during her “knighting ceremony”. 

“The Iveland.”

_‘Jake’s family of course.’_ Anna hoped he was safe right now. 

“Of course the Corona family. “ Rapunzel and Eugene nodded. “And minor noble houses are still faithful to Queen Elsa. But we are still in minority, and Corona can’t interfere directly in the internal affairs of Arendelle. The ministers and other nobles will have no problem to stop us and keep a watch over us until they get what they want.”

“We need to rescue the queen immediately! The expedition is for…” Anna suddenly realized. “…tomorrow!”

“More in two days.” The knight captain corrected, grinning.

“Two days?” The redhead raised an eyebrow.

“They had some difficulties in preparing all the equipment thanks to our blacksmith who suddenly ran out of coal and a little thief who didn’t stop stealing their food.” She gave a side glance at Eugene, who only looked away. “So don’t worry too much about that expedition Anna. Focus on rescuing Elsa. We will prepare everything for you to go tomorrow morning. You will have a day ahead of Hans. 

Anna nodded.

“But how Anna will leave the city?” Kristoff asked. “The guards have already found Anna’s cell empty by now. They must be looking for her right now; she won’t leave the city like that.”

Silence.

True.

Anna was now searched by the whole kingdom. The ministers would surely put a bounty on her head, accusing her of murder or treason to the kingdom. They would keep their hands cleaned and have the thugs and bounty hunter doing the job for them. Suddenly, Anna grinned, a Cheshire smile on her face.

“Well they are looking for a young redhead girl, two pigtails, white hair strand and freckles. Right?”

Everyone nodded, uncertain to where Anna was going with her statement. 

“Surely they are not looking for a handsome man, short red hair, no white strand and no freckles. Right?”

Everyone nodded, even more lost. Suddenly Rapunzel gasped in realization.

“Oh my.” She smirked. “I see.” She laughed hard. “Clever idea there.” She gave a light punch on Anna’s shoulder. “Let me do it, I’m an expert in that field.” A wink.

Anna nodded, the smile still on her face, and turned toward her father. “Dad, I need a set of armor. Do you have a spare one by any chance?”

Her father nodded, still not understanding his daughter’s plan. “I think I may have something.”

-X-

“Please tell me it’s not too late.” Jake muttered breathless. Riding his horse, he crossed the noble district to finally arrive in front of the Corona summer house. He sighed in relief when he saw the courtyard deserted. Not wasting any more time, he rode down his horse, ran toward the entrance, and frantically knocked at the door. Several minutes later, the door eventually opened to let place to a groggy butler. Jake didn’t wait for the explanations and entered the mansion.

“Knight Captain!” He shouted.

Being called, Olga left the study and walked fast toward the hall. Her eyes widened when she recognized the royal knight and was immediately in alert. 

“Jake? What’s wrong?”

“The guards are coming.” Jake announced. “I tried to stop them as much as I can but Minister Kam had joined the track group and I don’t know how but he learned that Anna is hiding here.”

“Minister Kam?” Olga frowned. “The situation must be alarming for him to intervene. What does he know exactly?” 

“A girl with strawberry blond hair has been seen riding along with two other men to the Corona Summer House.”

“I see.” Olga pondered. “Some nobles working for Hans must have seen them when they were crossing the district and warned the minister. Even if this mansion is in Arendelle, it still belongs to the royal family of Corona. Guards intruding their property can have diplomatic repercussions. Something the ministers want to avoid at all cost right now. He needs to be present.”

“Anna needs to hide, they are coming soon.” 

“Don’t worry about it.” Olga chuckled. “She came up with a particularly devious plan. She and Princess Rapunzel are preparing themselves right now. We knew something might happen tonight, so we came up with a backup plan just in case.”

Jake stared at his captain, skeptical. “Do you think it will work?”

“From what I have seen so far, it is pretty convincing. Still we didn’t expect that impromptu visit so soon, Vlad haven’t brought the armor yet. I hope Anna and Rapunzel found a solution. ”

Suddenly both guards were interrupted by a loud knocking on the front door. Promptly, Olga made a sign to Jake and they both moved into another room. It would be suspicious to find two royal knights in the Corona estate at this time of the hour. The knight captain nodded a last time to the butler, who opened the front door. Immediately a group of royal guards penetrated inside the mansion, weapons in their hands, followed by Minister Kam, a middle-aged man with starting grey hair. His pump figure proved the privilege life he was enjoying as minister of Arendelle. He walked into the mansion with overconfidence and disdain, still he was tensed. He turned toward the butler.

“Call the master of the house.”

“Sorry sir, but we are in the middle of the night…”

“Your masters are accused of treason for hiding criminals of Arendelle. So I don’t care if it’s late, wake them up!” The man shouted. 

“I would like you to lower your voice, Minister Skam. You are in my house, I intend you to respect my staff.”

Every head turned toward the staircase where the voice came from. Crown Princess Rapunzel was standing at the top of the staircases, still in her night dress with a light coat on her shoulder. Prince-Consort Eugene was by her side. She stood straight, with a regal presence despite her clothes, her intense eyes falling on the guards and the minister, who stepped back unconsciously, intimated by her display. He heard words of the crown princess being a joyful and naïve person, being kept captive all her life. They realized how wrong he was to not take that royal before him seriously.

“Princess Rapunzel, I have heard rumors that you are hiding a criminal within those walls.” Minister Kam eventually talked. 

“I don’t know what you are talking about, Minister. I don’t remember opening my doors to the people you are talking about.” Rapunzel replied bluntly, her gaze still on the man before her.

“Tonight one of our criminals escaped the dungeons. People saw three riders moving toward your summer house, that criminals among them. We believe they are hiding here. It is preferable Princess that you deliver them to us. You may belong to the royal family of Corona, but you are staying here in Arendelle. Hiding prisoners is considered as treason toward the crown of Arendelle”. The bulky man threatened. 

“Minister Kam I don’t know if you understand what I am saying when I have nothing with your criminal problem…”

“Don’t play with me princess. Your husband is a thief. It would be easy for him lock pick the cell in the dungeons. So little brat…” The man shouted, fuming. His patience had reached its limit. He didn’t appreciate to be woken up in the middle of the night, even less to deal with the infuriating royal.

Suddenly, the minister gasped in surprised, not able to finish his sentence when a knife flew under his eyes before driving into the wall on his right. The guards, in a fighting stance, turned toward the thrower, who was at the door leading to the study. The person was fully armored, the bright sun of Corona graved on the breasts plate and on the long violet cape dangling on its back. The knight was a young man with teal eyes and short auburn hair tied into a small ponytail, except for a lone strand of hair braided next to his face. The young knight glared at the intruders before walking toward them, the sound of its footstep resonating in the hall. Two soldiers followed him behind.

“It is better for you Minister to never talk about my husband in such disrespect again. All his crimes have been forgiven by my parents for having me rescued from my kidnapper. He is now Prince-Consort of Corona and a member of the royal family. Do. Not. Ever. Forget. That.” Rapunzel spoke, her voice low and threatening. She relaxed immediately when she felt Eugene’s arm around her waist. She then continued. “As I was saying before you were interrupting me Minister Kam, I am not concerned by your incapacity in keeping prisoners behind bars because the three riders you happened to hear about were in reality three soldiers under my orders. Surely the people who inform you of your prisoners’ behavior didn’t have a clear look of the riders in the dark. I present you Andrew Hoffen, captain of my personal guards here in Arendelle.”

“Bullshit. That little nitwit can’t be a captain.” The minister spat.

Teal eyes frowned. Without a warning, Andrew drew his sword and pointed it at the minister’s neck. The Arendelle guard immediately raised their weapons toward him.

“It is preferable for you Minister Kam to apologize. Despite his short height, the captain is a more than capable swordsman.” Rapunzel smirked. Eugene chuckled next to her.

The minister, sweating because of the proximity of the blade, muttered an apology. Andrew quickly drew his sword back into its sheath.

“How come we didn’t hear of your captain back during the Queen’s coronation?” One of the guards asked.

“Captain Hoffen has been under a mission for my parents. He has been asked to investigate a cluster of bandits who have been stricken in Corona for several months before taking refuge in Arendelle. Knight Captain Renmeyer accepted to assure my protection while Captain Hoffen and two of my guards were investigating. However when they heard about the eternal winter here in Arendelle, they came back. They have just arrived tonight.”

Several Arendelle guards started to whisper in the groups, wondering if they got tricked and led on a false trail. Minister Kam was fuming, enraged to have been led up the garden path and humiliated. He got tricked and he hated that.

“Now Minister Kam, would you please leave my property with your guards before I tell my father about the accusations you threw at me.” Rapunzel smiled. Of course. It was totally faked.

The bulky man groaned before ordering the guards to leave, following them behind. When the butler closed the door and they heard the sounds of horses fading away, the princess and her captain sighed loudly.

“Oh my god, we did it.” Rapunzel still couldn’t believe it. She really thought they would be discovered. They had made up the subterfuge at the last minute and she had never done this before. 

Her husband only laughed. “You were pretty scary there love.” He kissed her temple.

“I almost scared myself in reality.” The princess chuckled. “And Anna you have been totally convincing. Glad we had a spare armor that fitted you.”

The young captain Hoffen grinned. “I should give my thanks to you for such a transformation. I don’t even recognize myself.”

“At least we know your plan is working.” Olga grinned, entering the hall now that the place is clear. Jake was following closely behind. “If I were to have my other arm, I would clap for such a wonderful spectacle you gave us. I haven’t seen Minister Kam so red since I refused his son as a royal knight.” The knight captain laughed. “Ah the good old times.”

Everyone laughed, the tension disappearing. The atmosphere was now more relaxed. 

“Now now.” Olga looked at Anna. “It’s preferable you go to bed Captain Andrew.” She chuckled. “You need to rest for tomorrow.”

The redhead nodded. The days had been long; she had to admit she was dead tired. It was still a miracle she could still stand. Rapunzel led her to her bedroom for the night. She made sure everything was alright before biding goodbye to the young blacksmith and going back to her own bedroom. Anna removed her armor and went toward the bed, putting her sword next to it. She let a sigh of contentment when her head touched the soft sheets. In no time, she was fast asleep. This night again, she dreamt of Elsa.

-X-

“Here you go, firefly.” Vlad entered the Corona Summer House, a huge wood box in his arms.

“Dad!” Anna shouted, rushing toward her father to hug him. He tousled Anna’s hair. “And look at that short hair, little tomboy.” 

Anna smiled. “I thought something happened to you.” With the bounty on her head, she feared her father would be targeted by the royal guards. She was more than relieved to see her father alive and well.

Vlad laughed. “Sorry to arrive so late. The armor needed some polishing, took me the whole night to have it back in the track.” He walked then toward the center of the hall, dropped the box on the ground and opened it. Everyone came closer, curious. 

“Oh my…” Rapunzel admired the armor.

“It is perfect! You are the best dad!” Anna hugged her father tighter.

“I never saw an armor like that.” Olga declared. “How did you come up with that Vlad?”

The blacksmith grinned. “It was a present actually. I happened to meet an order during my travels. They told me this crazy story, where they are protectors of a world which is attacked sometimes by demons who come from the ground.”

Everyone raised an eyebrow.

“Anyway.” Vlad continued. “I helped them restoring some of their weapons and armors. They gave me this armor as a thanking token. I have kept it in the workshop ever since. Glad to see it will be useful.”

“I will take care of it dad!” Anna promised.

“I don’t doubt you firefly. Also I saw your horse outside; I attached your swords on his saddle. I wrapped them in a piece of fabric to hide them until you leave the city.”

“I will send two soldiers with you to transport the armor as well.” Rapunzel announced. “It will be strange you leave alone the city, especially with such a big box with you.” 

Anna nodded.

Eventually, everyone resumed their preparations for Anna’s expedition. The strawberry-blonde haired girl went to the bedroom to put back ‘Captain Andrew’s armor’ on her. When she came back to the hall, everything was ready. The soldiers, who would accompany her, were on their horses, waiting outside, part of the armor on their saddle. Anna hugged her father first; reassuring him by saying she will be safe. She bowed to Olga, who bowed back. When she was in front of the royal couple, she let a gasp of surprise when Princess Rapunzel hugged her, followed by Prince Eugene.

“Be safe, Anna.” The princess whispered. “Bring my cousin back.”

Anna nodded and awkwardly hugged the royals back. “I will.” One last time she bade everyone good bye before mounting her horse and leaving the estate, with the two guards.

_‘I’m coming Elsa.’_ Anna promised.


	7. Ready Steady GO (by Arc-en-Ciel)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A shorter chapter this time and surely the next one as well, also a fluffy chapter before the drama starts soon... in hope you won't hate me or dislike that fic in the next chapters >

Anna took a deep breath when she saw the gates of Arendelle to leave the city. She turned around and made a sign to the soldiers behind her. They nodded, ready. Slowly they reached the entrance, guarded by two soldiers, who stopped them.

“Sorry sir, but no one is allowed to leave the city. We have a loose criminal in the kingdom.” One of them spoke.

“I know, but my men and I have a mission for the King of Corona.” ‘Captain Andrew’ fumbled in ‘his’ satchel on ‘his’ horse for something. ‘He’ eventually retrieved a scroll and gave it to the soldier, who read it. The redhead continued, grinning. “Minister Kam I think knows about our mission, if you want another confirmation.” The soldier kept silent, reading the document. He eventually gave it back to the riders.

“Okay you can go.” The soldier said eventually, convinced of the authenticity of the document. Anna and the soldiers nodded and went through the gates, leaving the city of Arendelle. Several yards away, they sighed in relief. The “official” document Princess Rapunzel had made the night before worked. Without wasting any more time, the group resumed their journey to their rendezvous point. 

The travel was not easy. The roads were covered by a thick layer of snow, slowing down the horses in their progression. After several hours of struggling into the snow, they eventually reached a small cottage, Oaken’s trading post. Anna smiled when she saw Sven eating carrots next to the stables. The night before, after Anna had talked about her plan, Kristoff had proposed to go ahead and reach Oaken, to inform him of their plan so he could help them. Since no one in the castle was aware of Anna’s escape at this moment, it had been easy for Kristoff to leave the city to reach the trading post, especially at night. Both friends agreed to meet the day after at the trading post to elaborate a research plan for the queen. Even if she had run toward the mountains, they still didn’t know where she was. She could be anywhere. Anna made signs to the soldiers to stop and unload the boxes, while she would meet with her friends to inform them of their arrival. She gave a carrot to Sven on the way before entering the trading post.

“Anna?” 

The redhead noticed Kristoff and Oaken at the counter both looking at her, trying to recognize her.

“Hey there.” Anna smiled. “So what do you think?”

“Oh my god Anna, it’s that you?” Kristoff gasped in disbelief. “I barely recognize you.”

Anna smiled wider. Rapunzel had done a great job. She had figured out Anna’s plan of disguising herself as a man to sneak out of the city to rescue Queen Elsa. The easiest part had been cutting her hair and hiding her freckles with makeup. It had been more problematic for her white strand. But the crown princess had had more than one trick up her sleeve. She had come up with some kind of paint to change completely the color of her hair. The illusion was perfect.

“Really impressive. “ Oaken admitted.

“But why are you wearing the armor of Corona?” Kristoff asked, noticing the two soldiers entering. “And who are they?”

“When you left, shortly after, Princess Rapunzel and I have made up a story about my male counterpart in case someone would ask questions. We didn’t wait long before Minister Kam and a group of guards entered the mansion, looking for me.” Anna smirked. “He only found a pissed off princess and a threatening captain of her royal guards. It was priceless.” She laughed. Kristoff laughed with her, aware of the minister’s reputation in the kingdom. 

“But the armor was only temporary. Dad brought the actual armor, I will wear, this morning. Can I use one of the rooms upstairs to change?” She asked to the owner.

“Of course! Of course Anna!” The big man smiled. “There is water and a towel to clean you up as well.”

The redhead smiled in return, took the wood boxes, and went upstairs, while Oaken and Kristoff finished the final preparations with the Corona guards. 

Anna came back an hour later, fully dressed in her a new armor. It was pretty simple. A massive breastplate was covering the top of her body, protecting her most vital parts and her neck. A long piece of green clothes was hanging from the plate, hiding the rest of the armor on her stomach and her thighs. A belt and a faulds were holding the fabric and protecting her lower body. Her arms and legs were fully protected, but at the same time, she was not hindered by the whole equipment, and was able to move freely. A long warm green coat completed the set. Her greatsword were attached to her back, and broadsword at her hips. She had removed the paint in her hair, which were once again bright red with the lone white strand, and the make up on her face. Anna felt refreshed and herself once again. Kristoff smiled when he saw her.

“There the Anna I know. The little feisty pants, who can eat a mountain of chocolate in no time.” He laughed.

Anna punched him in the arm, laughing as well. “Say the man who eats the same carrots his reindeer had just bite.”

This time everyone laughed, including the two soldiers, until Oaken cleared his throat to remind the group of the actual situation. He talked. “I have prepared some food for your trip Anna.” He handed her a bag of provisions.

“Also...” Kristoff continued, now serious. “… I scouted the region. Everything is covered by snow, but more particularly the roads toward the North Mountain.”

Anna frowned. “Then that means…”

“Yes. Queen Elsa must be in the North Mountains. I drew you a map to reach that part as fast as possible.” The blonde drew the map and showed it to her. The redhead examined the route and nodded. She trusted her friend, who knew those mountains like the back of his hand.

Anna took the map and put it in her travel bag.

“I will try to slow down Prince Hans’ expedition meanwhile. I won’t promise miracles, but I will try to buy you time to reach the mountain and find the queen.” He continued.

“Thank you Kristoff. You too Mister Oaken.” Anna bowed to both men. She turned toward the soldiers. “Thank you as well for your help. Better you go back to the city and keep Princess Rapunzel informed about the situation. Go through the eastern entrance, so the same guards won’t ask you where I am.”

Both guards nodded in understanding and left the trading post after saying words of encouragement.

“Okay time to go!” Anna announced. She left the cottage. She smiled at Sven who ran toward her. She looked in her bag and took a carrot out to give it once again to the reindeer, which ate it eagerly. Then she reached for her horse and mounted it. Kristoff and Oaken were at the doors of the house, assisting at her departure.

“Be careful Anna.” Kristoff said.

Anna looked at him and nodded. “I will.” 

She left.

-X-

Anna tightened her coat around her shoulders as she felt the cold wind hitting her body. She had been following the road for several hours, the temperature continuously dropping closer to the North Mountain. Fortunately the whole journey had been calm so far. Anna was relieved she had encountered no wolves on the way. As they got closer to the mountain, the layer of snow on the ground was getting thicker. She had to help her horse making through the snow several times. A pack of wolves would have been difficult to handle.

Anna continued her mission, toward the North Mountain. At a point in her journey, she found herself on top of a mountain. For the first time since the eternal winter, the sky was free of clouds, rays of sun falling above the kingdom of Arendelle and its mountains. Anna looked around her. Even if the whole situation was troublesome, the young blacksmith couldn’t stop admiring the white landscape. The snow was glowing under the sun, reflecting its light toward the trees and rocks. The white landscape was shining before her eyes. Anna could finally have a clear view of Arendelle at the foot of the mountain as well. However, the whole frozen city and castle had lost their bright colors, even if they were particularly shining under the sun. Eventually, Anna turned around and resumed her journey toward her destination. She looked up and stared at the giant mountain standing before her: the North Mountain. 

 

Time passed. Suddenly, Anna jumped when she felt ice on her cheeks. She looked around her.

“Wow.” She whispered.

For several minutes, the young blacksmith had been lost in her thoughts, wondering how she could announce the dreadful news to the Queen. Meanwhile, her horse had guided her to a small frozen pond with waterfalls. The trees around were all frozen as well. But what impressed Anna, were the drops of water falling from the trees, which had frozen instantly, forming trails of ice hanging in the air. The redhead stopped to admire her surroundings, enjoying the beautiful view. The place was peaceful and protected from the cold harsh wind. It was the perfect place to take a break, after a so long journey. Anna had noticed the tired state of her horse. He needed to rest a little. She went down from her mount and sat next to the pound. Looking in her satchel, she retrieved an apple and gave it to her horse, which ate it eagerly. She laughed when the apple disappeared in no time. She then looked into her bag once again and retrieved a second apple. Her mount nudged her shoulder.

“Hey hey.” Anna laughed, pulling the fruit away from the animal. “This one is for me.”

Quickly, she took the first bite of the fruit, away from the teeth of her horse. Turned toward the pond, she glanced at the stretch of water before her. Suddenly her eyes widened when she eventually recognized her surroundings. A familiar flashback came back to her mind.

_“Where are we going love?” Elsa looked around her, not recognizing the place._

_“It’s a surprise, Kjaerste.” Anna grinned, sensing her lover pouting behind her back, as her arms tightened around her waist._

_Earlier this morning, both lovers had decided to enjoy this perfect day of summer by having a picnic outside with Tian and Sophia. Anna had decided the choice of the place, divulging nothing to the princess and her bodyguards. The three of them had agreed. It had warmed the redhead to see how they trusted her. Normally Tian and Sophia would have insisted to know the destination for security purposes. Later, the little group had left toward the North Mountain._

_“Please Anna.” Elsa tightened her hold around Anna’s waist. She nibbled at the redhead’s ear before whispering “I will do anything for you.”_

_Anna froze on her horse. She felt blood rushing to her cheeks and warmth in her whole body. Elsa noticed her girlfriend’s stiffness and smirked. “You are a little tensed feisty fox. Do you want me to give you a massage?”_

_“I…I…” Anna stammered._

_“Little artic fox, stop teasing little fox.” Tian eventually warned, smiling. The bodyguard saw how the princess was ‘torturing’ her girlfriend and decided to intervene to save the already red younger girl. Sophia arrived shortly after, on the other side of the couple, laughing lightly._

_Elsa pouted. Anna smiled, endeared by the action. The princess was so cute._

_“You are killing all the fun Tian.” Elsa scowled. “Why can you flirt with Sophia and I not with Anna?”_

_“Because Sophia knows how to make me speechless every night.” Tian smirked and Sophia laughed._

_At the statement, Elsa turned scarlet. It was her turn to become speechless, aware of the innuendo behind her bodyguard’s words. Even if they were close, Anna and she hadn’t crossed that line yet. Anna laughed as well. “Your turn Kjaerste.” She smiled and took her lover’s hand in her to kiss it. “Come on, we are almost there.”_

_Eventually the little group arrived to their destination._

_“Oh my…” Elsa said in awe when she noticed the pond glittering under the sun between leafy trees._

_“Beautiful.” Sophia whispered._

_“How do you know that place?” Tian looked at Anna who only grinned._

_“Well Mr. Oaken told me about it actually.” The redhead explained. “I helped him with a small errand and in exchange he talked to me about that little paradise.”_

_“It’s perfect Anna.” Elsa smiled and kissed her girlfriend. “You are the best.”_

_In no time the group installed the picnic on the grass near the pond. Elsa had asked Gerda to prepare sandwiches for them (Anna’s favorite), while Anna had brought with her some cheese from her father’s personal storehouse. Without wasting time, since they were all starving, the group started eating, talking of nothing and anything at the same time. At the end, after several batches of chocolates, brought by Tian and Sophia, both couples were laying on the grass, too lazy to move anymore. They had enjoyed their lunch and were now totally full. Elsa was nested in Anna’s arms, her head in the crook of her neck and her arms around her waist. She was enjoying the warm body of her lover and a peaceful afternoon with her. Her bodyguards were snuggling each other beside them, dozing off. After a moment, Elsa unconsciously started to draw tiny circles on the redhead’s collarbone, feeling light heartbeats under her fingertips._

_“Elsa…” Anna murmured._

_“Yes?”_

_“It tickles.”_

_Elsa smiled. The redhead eventually opened her eyes. The princess smiled wider at the sight of her lover. ‘She is so cute.’ Unable to resist, she kissed her nose. “I love you Anna.” Teal eyes looked at her. A smiled appeared on Anna’s face. The young blacksmith kissed her. Elsa felt a warm feeling in her heart and kissed her back, showing Anna how much she loved her._

_“I love you too Kjaerste.” Anna spoke after they broke the kiss. “Always and forever.”_

_“Until the end of time.” Elsa finished._

_A little pause._

_“Anna?”_

_“Yes?”_

_“Let’s ice-skating.” Elsa proposed as she looked at the calm pond._

_“Right now? In the middle of summer?”_

_A laugh._

_“Don’t forget to whom you are speaking.”_

_Anna rolled her eyes, smiling. “Of course I don’t. But you know I don’t ice-skate kjaerste and why now?”_

_“I don’t know. I just want to ice-skate with you during summer.” Elsa grinned. “And it is never too late to learn.”_

_“Okay Kjearste.” She smiled. “Let’s ice-skating.”_

_Elsa smiled, enchanted. Without a warning, Elsa got up and dragged her girlfriend toward the pond. Tian and Sophia still kept watching over them but let them some privacy as well. In front of the pond, Elsa stopped and looked at Anna, who smiled back and told her to go on. The princess positioned herself in front of the pond and focused. Suddenly she stepped her foot into the pond. But instead of meeting water, her foot met deep solid ice, which was spreading fast over the surface of the pond, reaching the waterfalls to freeze the base._

_“You are starting to master you power, kjaerste.” Anna noticed amazed._

_“It’s thanks to you, feisty fox.” The princess gave a bright smile. “Now for your shoes.” She looked down and with a movement of her hand, ice blades suddenly appeared under Anna’s boots._

_“Wouah!” Anna was in awe. But she didn’t have time to admire the new addition to her shoes as her lover dragged her on the frozen pond. “Elsa what about you?”_

_The blonde laughed. “I don’t need them Anna.” Effortlessly, she slid on the ice, still holding Anna’s hands. The young blacksmith held them firmly as she tried to stay still on the ice, scared to fall. Elsa smiled in amusement when she saw her girlfriend, bent over the ice, thinking she would fall if she moved._

_“Love, you need to stand straight, or you won’t be able to move.”_

_“At the opposite of people who ice skate like they were born on an ice rink, some people have actually troubles ice skating”. Anna stated sarcasm in her voice._

_“Trust me, feisty fox. I am holding you. I won’t let you fall.” Elsa tightened her hands around Anna’s._

_Teal eyes looked up. Anna studied Elsa’s eyes, and saw all the sincerity and love in them. Taking a deep breath, she focused and eventually straightened up, her legs still shaky. Anna grinned, proud of her accomplishment. Suddenly she felt slender arms around her waist, and delicate hands on her bottom._

_“Kjearste.” Anna babbled. A slight blush appeared on her cheeks._

_“For you to not fall love.” Elsa grinned as she brought the redhead closer to her, their breasts touching._

_“You are rather bold today.” Anna laughed while she was putting her own arms around the blonde’s waist._

_“I realize meeting you has been the best moment in my life, and loving you the best decision.” Elsa whispered before kissing Anna, who kissed her back._

_After several minutes, both lovers decided to eventually start ice-skating. At first, Anna was a little bit unsteady on the ice. More than once she almost fell. However Elsa was always there to catch her and guide her. Finally, Anna started to move smoothly on the ice and happily moved by the princess’ side. Elsa’s smile was the widest she ever had, more than happy to have some moments with the love of her life._

_“Seems you got the hang of it love.” Elsa beamed._

_“I had the best teacher in the world.” Anna replied with pride, which made Elsa laugh._

_Anna grinned, in total admiration with the woman beside her. She was so enraptured by her; she didn’t pay attention to the ice rink and suddenly slipped. Elsa immediately noticed and caught her in her arms. But because of her position and Anna’s weight (blame the chocolates), Elsa was dragged into the fall and landed on her lover, who had her back against the frozen pond._

_“Ouch” Anna groaned._

_“I’m so sorry Anna.” Elsa apologized in a hurry. She quickly tried to get up to give Anna some room, but the redhead stopped her by putting her arms around her waist._

_“There there Kjaerste.” The young blacksmith grinned. “I’m alright. Don’t worry about it.”_

_“Are you sure?”_

_“Totally.” Anna smiled. “Now we have problem.” She smirked._

_“What’s wrong?”_

_“I fell. I remember you promised me you wouldn’t let me fall.”_

_“I did catch you love. Not my fault you are so heavy.” The blonde poked at her lover’s belly, laughing and making her laugh._

_“Stop that kjaerste!” Anna said between laughers. “And I’m not too heavy!”_

_“Of course you are!” This time Elsa started tickling Anna, who laughed even harder._

_“Elsa stop please!” She begged._

_“Kiss me and I will.” The princess defied her._

_Teal eyes looked at blue. Slowly Elsa stopped tickling the redhead to lean closer toward her. Anna stopped laughing, her hands holding Elsa by her waist. Both lovers looked at each other, their eyes dark and intense. The redhead noticed how Elsa unconsciously licked her bottom lips. She found the action exquisite. Their faces were only an inch away before Anna lifted her head. Her lips met Elsa’s. The blonde moaned in approval as she deepened the kiss. The kiss got more heated as Elsa moved over Anna, her knee pushing between her legs. Anna groaned in pleasure at the touch and unconsciously held Elsa’s bottom in her hands to get her closer to her. The gesture didn’t go unnoticed by the princess who moaned louder. Both lovers were lost in themselves, the heat of passion growing. They started to feel hot in their clothes and were ready to remove it to feel skin on skin. Suddenly they both heard something cracking. They stopped. Anna looked at her left and saw the ice cracking under her back. She didn’t have time to scream with Elsa as she fell in the water in an instant. By reflex Anna dragged Elsa with her and tried to leave the water to not freeze to death. She stopped when she heard laughers. She realized the water was cold, but not freezing. She remembered finally that they were in summer. Even if Elsa had frozen the pond on the surface, the water at the bottom was not excessively cold and so not life threatening. The redhead turned toward the source of laughter, glaring at the culprits._

_“Tian! Sophia!” She shouted._

_On the riverbank, both women were laughing hard. The taller soldier had her sword in the lake, ice around it. With a mighty blow on the surface, the bodyguard succeeded in cracking the ice. The crack had spread then toward the lovers. The frozen water was crushed under their weights._

_“Sorry little fox. But we don’t think it is the best place and time for you to show how much your love each other.” Sophia grinned._

_Elsa and Anna blushed in no time, finally realizing what they had almost done if Tian and Sophia hadn’t stop them. Still, they were both displeased by the way they had been interrupted. Elsa especially didn’t say her last word, and in one motion, froze the ground below her bodyguards’ feet. Tian and Sophia let a cry of surprise as they slipped on the ice and fell in the pond as well._

_“Your turn!” Anna shouted, laughing now._

_When the bodyguards emerged from the water, they glared at the lover, before giggling and laughing.  
Soon after, both bodyguards and lovers started a little war by throwing water at each other. Hours later, the group finally decided to go back to the castle. Elsa, drained, was in front of Anna on the horse, dozing. Anna was holding her tight to prevent her from falling._

_“Thank you little fox for this outing.” Tian talked to her._

_“It was refreshing.” Sophia added._

_“Let’s make sure we come back her soon then.” The redhead smiled._

Anna closed her eyes when she felt a cold wind hitting her face, bringing her back to the present. Her flashback had been particularly intense this time, her chest still filled with a light feeling. She was sure now that all those visions in her head were not the figment of her imagination. They were flashbacks, memories of a past, from which she had no recollection. She needed to find the queen fast. She was the person who was holding the answers to her questions. All of sudden, she felt wetness on her fingers. She looked down, and only saw her hand and fingers covered by saliva. The apple she had been eating had disappeared.

“What the…?” The strawberry-blonde girl exclaimed. She turned back.

“Little devil of horse! I told you that apple was for me.” She glared at her mount, which was slowly eating the red fruit, not disturbed by its mistress’ threats. At the end, the redhead sighed. 

“Anyway, time to move.”

-X-

Several hours later, Anna eventually reached the last rampart before reaching the peak of the North Mountain, a steep cliff. She readjusted the hood over her head for protection; the cold wind on her face was like hundreds of tin blades picking at her skin. There was no denying now that Queen Elsa was close with that cold temperature almost unbearable near the peak of the mountain. Even during winter, it was not so cold. Anna got down from her horse and walked closer to the cliff, analyzing it. She touched the rocks and deduced the cliff was climbable.

“Seems it’s the only solution here.” The redhead groaned. It’s not that Anna was an awful climber. On the contrary, she was a pretty skilled one, having been taught by her father and Kristoff. But after long hours in the snow and icy winds, the redhead was starting to feel the tolls of exhaustion. The cliff was not particularly high, but with the strong wind, it was not an easy task either. 

Anna sighed. “Okay let’s do it.” 

She turned toward her horse to take her climbing equipment, when she heard something on her right. In full alert, she stayed still. She quickly identified the sound and immediately bent backward. In an instant, Anna saw an arrow flying before her eyes. Again she heard something coming closer to her, from where the arrow had been shot. She drew her sword out and turned to stop just in time the blade, which was coming for her neck. Anna stepped back because of the force behind the attack but quickly reacted by pushing the blade away. She took a look at her opponent, but couldn’t discern their face under their hood. She in turn attacked them with well-aimed blows. However all her attacks were deflected, still she kept pushing not letting her enemy the time to attack. Eventually, with a powerful blow, Anna hit the attacker, who was projected on the cliff. At this moment, their hood fell under the chock. Anna gasped as she recognized Tian. However she didn’t have time say anything as she noticed the presence of a second person on her left. She turns and saw Sophia rushing toward her. The redhead reacted with haste and blocked the bodyguard’s rapier. Immediately, she stepped back to be as far as possible from Sophia, who could be lethal at close range. But this lapse of time was enough for Tian to rush toward the blacksmith once again to attack, Sophia shortly behind her, not letting Anna enough time to warn them. Somehow, Anna succeeded in blocking Tian’s blade with her greatsword and dodging Sophia’s ones. But she was exhausted, and she couldn’t keep that long.

“Tian! Sophia! It’s me Anna!” The redhead shouted, removing the hood from her head.

The bodyguards stopped, but didn’t lower their weapons still on their guard. It could be a trap.

“Prove us.” Tian talked.

“You remember that piece of cheese you couldn’t find any more in your tent?” Anna stared. “Well Sophia ate it.”

“Wrong. It was Anna, the person it seems you are not.” Tian snarled, before raising her sword to kill the imposter. But slender arms around her waist stopped her.

“Tian! Stop! It’s really Anna!” Sophia shouted.

Tian froze. “What?” With disbelief, the little gearwheels were processing the new information in her head. Suddenly it clicked and turned toward Sophia.

“It was you! Sophia how could you do that to me.”

“I’m so sorry love, but I was hungry, and saw that marvelous piece of cheese on the table, with the bread next to it… and I couldn’t resist.”

“I spent months of wages for that piece! It was a top and rare quality, I was lucky to find one!”

“Indeed it was delicious.” Sophia licked her lips.

“You are not helping your case here.” Tian glared at her.

“Errr guys?” Anna spoke.

Both bodyguards turned toward the redhead.

“So it is really you?” Tian asked.

“Yes. I had to cut my hair to escape Hans’ men and leave the city…”

“Hans’ men?” Sophia interrupted. “Why would you escape from them?”

Anna took a deep breath and finally explained the bodyguards the events of the last days. As Anna told her story, rage were appearing on the women’s faces.

“That bastard. I knew he was not clean from the start.” Tian was fuming.

“Now we know who tried to kidnap Elsa when she was young. Hans’ brother. But since it failed.”

“The little brother took his chance and is succeeding.” The taller woman groaned and started to space, thinking.  
Anna looking at her and turned toward Sophia.

“I would like to know. Did you find Elsa?”

Sophia stared at Anna for a moment. She smiled knowingly. 

“Of course little fox. It took us only a few hours to find her. We tried to bring her back, but she insisted to stay in the North Mountain, thinking it is better this way. We have been staying with her ever since tp protect her until she decides to come back to Arendelle.”

“However we didn’t know Arendelle was deep in snow.” Tian added. “We haven’t noticed anything when we left. It is urgent now from Elsa to come back to Arendelle to undo that eternal winter.”

“And to keep her safe from Hans.” Anna insisted.

Both bodyguards nodded. 

“Come with us. We need to see Elsa.” Tian announced.

Anna nodded and took the bridle of her horse and walked behind her friends who were taking an alternative road to avoid the climbing the cliff. The redhead thought she should have noticed that passage. She turned toward her friends and laughed when she saw Tian still glaring at her lover.

“Don’t think you are getting away with that cheese fiasco.” The dark-skinned woman threatened her partner.

-X-

Olga stood still as she saw Hans and his army finally on their way toward the North Mountain. With Vlad, she had done her best to delay the departure of the group without arousing suspicions. Hans gave her a nasty glare, full aware of Olga’s position in the whole conspiracy.

When the last guards left the city, the thick tension in Arendelle eased immediately. Olga sighed, finally able to relax a little bit for a short period, before everything will be hectic again.

“I hope Anna had arrived to her destination.” A voice said.

Olga turned around to see Vlad by her side. She smiled. “Anna is as resourceful as Tian and Sophia, even more considering she is looking for Queen Elsa. So I won’t be too worried about that part. I’m more concerned if she will convince the queen to come back.”

Vlad sighed. “I still don’t understand why it’s had to be her. Anna still hasn’t recovered her memory. How can she convince the queen to come back?”

“I admit I’m playing the trump card there by playing on Elsa’s feelings for Anna. Even if Anna doesn’t remember everything, Elsa’s love for her is still there and can shake her decision. However, even you old friend can’t deny what is happening right now.”

The blacksmith stayed silent, not admitting the truth.

“The seal Queen Elsa had put on Anna is fading away. She is starting to have her memories back. Her meeting with Elsa will trigger everything I am sure of it.”

“If Anna was remembering everything we should have told her at least something about that day.”

“And you know like me, we can’t say anything, even Tian and Sophia are staying silent about what happened that day. It’s not our place to tell.”

The old man sighed. “We have made mistakes, now we need to endure the consequences?”

“We are doing our best to correct our mistakes. Now we only need to wait.”

Both the knight captain and blacksmith looked at the North Mountain, standing proudly, covered with snow and ice. They could only wait for now.


End file.
